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2025 Best Precision Metal Working Schools in the Great Lakes Region

10 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
8,032 Precision Metal Working Degrees Awarded
$36,824 Avg Early-Career Salary
Precision Metal Working is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #131 most popular degree program in the country. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 10 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Precision Metal Working Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 8,032 degrees in precision metal working to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Precision Metal Working School

Best Precision Metal Working Schools in the Great Lakes Region Your choice of precision metal working school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for precision metal working schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Precision Metal Working Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Precision Metal Working

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Precision Metal Working Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Precision Metal Working in the Great Lakes Region

The schools below may not offer all types of precision metal working degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in Precision Metal Working

1
Ivy Tech Community College crest
Ivy Tech Community College
Indianapolis, IN
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
980 Precision Metal Working Degrees Awarded
3.9% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in precision metal working needs to check out Ivy Tech Community College. Located in the city of Indianapolis, Ivy Tech Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #173 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Ivy Tech Community College is a great college overall.

There were approximately 980 precision metal working students who graduated with this degree at Ivy Tech Community College in the most recent data year. Precision Metal Working degree recipients from Ivy Tech Community College receive an earnings boost of approximately $14,385 over the average earnings of precision metal working graduates.

More information about a degree in precision metal working from Ivy Tech Community College

2
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
102 Precision Metal Working Degrees Awarded
$43,380 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat Waukesha County Technical College if you wish to pursue a degree in precision metal working. WCTC is a medium-sized public college located in the suburb of Pewaukee. This college ranks 27th out of 46 colleges for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were roughly 102 precision metal working students who graduated with this degree at WCTC in the most recent year we have data available. Precision Metal Working degree recipients from Waukesha County Technical College get an earnings boost of about $6,556 above the average earnings of precision metal working graduates.

More information about a degree in precision metal working from Waukesha County Technical College

3
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
402 Precision Metal Working Degrees Awarded
27.6% Growth in Graduates

Fox Valley Technical College is a great decision for students interested in a degree in precision metal working. FVTC is a fairly large public college located in the midsize suburb of Appleton. A Best Colleges rank of #387 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means FVTC is a great college overall.

There were roughly 402 precision metal working students who graduated with this degree at FVTC in the most recent data year. Those precision metal working students who get their degree from Fox Valley Technical College make $16,625 more than the average precision metal working student.

More information about a degree in precision metal working from Fox Valley Technical College

4
Ferris crest
Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
88 Precision Metal Working Degrees Awarded
18.2% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat Ferris State University if you want to pursue a degree in precision metal working. Located in the remote town of Big Rapids, Ferris is a public university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #565 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Ferris is a great university overall.

There were approximately 88 precision metal working students who graduated with this degree at Ferris in the most recent data year. Those precision metal working students who get their degree from Ferris State University receive $26,008 more than the standard precision metal working graduate.

More information about a degree in precision metal working from Ferris State University

5
Vincennes University crest
Vincennes University
Vincennes, IN
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
92 Precision Metal Working Degrees Awarded
$54,908 Median Starting Salary

Vincennes University is a large public university located in the remote town of Vincennes. A Best Colleges rank of #365 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Vincennes University is a great university overall.

There were about 92 precision metal working students who graduated with this degree at Vincennes University in the most recent data year. Precision Metal Working degree recipients from Vincennes University get an earnings boost of about $18,084 over the typical income of precision metal working majors.

More information about a degree in precision metal working from Vincennes University

6
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
31 Precision Metal Working Degrees Awarded
$38,418 Median Starting Salary

Grand Rapids Community College is a large public college located in the midsize city of Grand Rapids. This college ranks 18th out of 56 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were approximately 31 precision metal working students who graduated with this degree at Grand Rapids Community College in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the precision metal working program make around $38,418 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in precision metal working from Grand Rapids Community College

7
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
279 Precision Metal Working Degrees Awarded
$31,692 Median Starting Salary

SWIC is a moderately-sized public college located in the suburb of Belleville. This college ranks 44th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 279 precision metal working students who graduated with this degree at SWIC in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the precision metal working program earn around $31,692 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in precision metal working from Southwestern Illinois College

8
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
12th Most Popular In MI
12.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the remote town of Marquette, Northern Michigan University is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 35th out of 56 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were about 25 precision metal working students who graduated with this degree at Northern Michigan University in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in precision metal working from Northern Michigan University

9
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
136 Precision Metal Working Degrees Awarded
$37,195 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Godfrey, Lewis and Clark Community College is a public college with a small student population. This college ranks 57th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 136 precision metal working students who graduated with this degree at Lewis and Clark Community College in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, precision metal working degree recipients generally earn an average of $37,195 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in precision metal working from Lewis and Clark Community College

10
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
80 Precision Metal Working Degrees Awarded
42.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Cleveland, Ohio Technical College is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

There were about 80 precision metal working students who graduated with this degree at Ohio Technical College in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the precision metal working program make an average of $34,156 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in precision metal working from Ohio Technical College

Best Precision Metal Working Colleges by State

Explore the best precision metal working schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 199
Ohio 314 60
Illinois 304 112
Indiana 294 225
Wisconsin 273 49

View All Rankings >

Precision Metal Working is one of 5 different types of Precision Production programs to choose from.

Precision Metal Working Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Welding Technology/Welder 6,100
Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist 574
Machine Tool Technology/Machinist 399
Machine Shop Technology/Assistant 308
Tool & Die Technology/Technician 197
Sheet Metal Technology/Sheetworking 172
Ironworking/Ironworker 168
Metal Fabricator 98
Other Precision Metal Working 16

View All Precision Metal Working Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Woodworking 59
Boilermaking 29
Other Precision Production 29
Precision Production Trades 8

View All Precision Metal Working Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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