Best Value Trade Schools for Welding (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Ferris State University (MI) has the highest-paying welding program in EDsmart Data's analysis, at $72,223 in first-year earnings. Across 359 programs reporting earnings, the median is $40,507 with $9,500 in median federal debt.
Key Facts
- Top program: Ferris State University ($72,223 year-1 earnings)
- Median year-1 earnings: $40,507
- Median federal debt: $9,500
- Programs with earnings data: 359
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Top 15 welding programs by first-year earnings
The best programs pay far above the median
Our analysis finds the top welding program pays $72,223 in year one, versus a $40,507 median across all reporting programs.
Individual programs reporting first-year earnings to College Scorecard.
Top 50 best-value welding programs by first-year earnings
| Rank · School | State | Program | Credential | Year-1 earnings | Median debt | Earnings per $1 of debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Ferris State University | MI | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $72,223 | $16,757 | $4.31 |
| 2. Lee College | TX | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $70,412 | — | — |
| 3. Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College | KY | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $69,657 | $8,750 | $7.96 |
| 4. Ivy Tech Community College | IN | Precision Metal Working | Associate | $69,427 | $8,998 | $7.72 |
| 5. Hennepin Technical College | MN | Precision Metal Working | Associate | $68,632 | $13,954 | $4.92 |
| 6. Des Moines Area Community College | IA | Precision Metal Working | Associate | $65,355 | — | — |
| 7. Jefferson Community and Technical College | KY | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $65,286 | $8,250 | $7.91 |
| 8. Hennepin Technical College | MN | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $64,415 | $14,750 | $4.37 |
| 9. Pennsylvania College of Technology | PA | Precision Metal Working | Associate | $63,054 | $19,500 | $3.23 |
| 10. Anoka Technical College | MN | Precision Metal Working | Associate | $62,495 | — | — |
| 11. Eastern Iowa Community College District | IA | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $61,035 | — | — |
| 12. Gateway Community and Technical College | KY | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $60,680 | $7,125 | $8.52 |
| 13. Bluegrass Community and Technical College | KY | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $60,604 | $10,786 | $5.62 |
| 14. Dunwoody College of Technology | MN | Precision Metal Working | Associate | $60,388 | $12,000 | $5.03 |
| 15. Idaho State University | ID | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $59,367 | $6,500 | $9.13 |
| 16. Elizabethtown Community and Technical College | KY | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $59,272 | $7,224 | $8.20 |
| 17. Saint Paul College | MN | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $58,976 | $12,585 | $4.69 |
| 18. Vincennes University | IN | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $58,633 | $5,500 | $10.66 |
| 19. School of Automotive Machinists & Technology | TX | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $57,952 | $9,854 | $5.88 |
| 20. Anoka Technical College | MN | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $57,915 | $5,500 | $10.53 |
| 21. Wichita State University-Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology | KS | Precision Metal Working | Associate | $57,475 | $10,493 | $5.48 |
| 22. Emily Griffith Technical College | CO | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $57,453 | — | — |
| 23. Green River College | WA | Precision Metal Working | Associate | $56,806 | — | — |
| 24. Northland Community and Technical College | MN | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $56,194 | — | — |
| 25. Santa Ana College | CA | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $55,962 | — | — |
| 26. Wiregrass Georgia Technical College | GA | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $55,436 | — | — |
| 27. Coastal Pines Technical College | GA | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $55,402 | — | — |
| 28. Northern Wyoming Community College District | WY | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $55,330 | $5,500 | $10.06 |
| 29. Fox Valley Technical College | WI | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $55,048 | $5,500 | $10.01 |
| 30. Alaska Vocational Technical Center | AK | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $54,878 | — | — |
| 31. Hawkeye Community College | IA | Precision Metal Working | Associate | $54,708 | — | — |
| 32. Mid-State Technical College | WI | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $54,668 | — | — |
| 33. Southeast Community College Area | NE | Precision Metal Working | Associate | $54,590 | $9,834 | $5.55 |
| 34. Chippewa Valley Technical College | WI | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $54,384 | $11,000 | $4.94 |
| 35. Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology | PA | Precision Metal Working | Associate | $54,231 | $12,000 | $4.52 |
| 36. Metropolitan Community College Area | NE | Precision Metal Working | Associate | $53,959 | — | — |
| 37. Des Moines Area Community College | IA | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $53,940 | $5,500 | $9.81 |
| 38. Dakota County Technical College | MN | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $53,788 | $5,500 | $9.78 |
| 39. Alexandria Technical & Community College | MN | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $53,455 | $5,500 | $9.72 |
| 40. Central Carolina Technical College | SC | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $53,381 | — | — |
| 41. State Technical College of Missouri | MO | Precision Metal Working | Associate | $52,814 | $12,000 | $4.40 |
| 42. Lancaster County Career and Technology Center | PA | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $52,567 | — | — |
| 43. St Cloud Technical and Community College | MN | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $52,556 | $9,500 | $5.53 |
| 44. Lake Area Technical College | SD | Precision Metal Working | Associate | $52,506 | $12,000 | $4.38 |
| 45. Ranken Technical College | MO | Precision Metal Working | Associate | $52,485 | — | — |
| 46. White Mountains Community College | NH | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $52,456 | $9,856 | $5.32 |
| 47. Tulsa Welding School-Tulsa | OK | Precision Metal Working | Associate | $52,182 | $16,000 | $3.26 |
| 48. Advanced Welding Institute | VT | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $52,034 | $5,077 | $10.25 |
| 49. Ridgewater College | MN | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $52,031 | $8,485 | $6.13 |
| 50. Ranken Technical College | MO | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $51,970 | $6,800 | $7.64 |
Welding programs with the most earnings per dollar borrowed
Programs reporting both first-year earnings and median debt.
| School | State | Program | Year-1 earnings | Median debt | Earnings per $1 of debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lynnes Welding Training | ND | Precision Metal Working | $50,995 | $3,385 | $15.06 |
| Daytona State College | FL | Precision Metal Working | $37,293 | $2,948 | $12.65 |
| Vincennes University | IN | Precision Metal Working | $58,633 | $5,500 | $10.66 |
| Anoka Technical College | MN | Precision Metal Working | $57,915 | $5,500 | $10.53 |
| Advanced Welding Institute | VT | Precision Metal Working | $52,034 | $5,077 | $10.25 |
| Northern Wyoming Community College District | WY | Precision Metal Working | $55,330 | $5,500 | $10.06 |
| Fox Valley Technical College | WI | Precision Metal Working | $55,048 | $5,500 | $10.01 |
| The Fab School | CA | Precision Metal Working | $43,690 | $4,449 | $9.82 |
| Des Moines Area Community College | IA | Precision Metal Working | $53,940 | $5,500 | $9.81 |
| Dakota County Technical College | MN | Precision Metal Working | $53,788 | $5,500 | $9.78 |
| Alexandria Technical & Community College | MN | Precision Metal Working | $53,455 | $5,500 | $9.72 |
| Gateway Community and Technical College | KY | Precision Metal Working | $51,075 | $5,479 | $9.32 |
| Northcentral Technical College | WI | Precision Metal Working | $50,390 | $5,500 | $9.16 |
| Idaho State University | ID | Precision Metal Working | $59,367 | $6,500 | $9.13 |
| Northwood Technical College | WI | Precision Metal Working | $50,067 | $5,500 | $9.10 |
| Hobart Institute of Welding Technology | OH | Precision Metal Working | $49,991 | $5,500 | $9.09 |
| Welder Training and Testing Institute | PA | Precision Metal Working | $49,812 | $5,500 | $9.06 |
| Central Lakes College-Brainerd | MN | Precision Metal Working | $49,087 | $5,500 | $8.92 |
| Milwaukee Area Technical College | WI | Precision Metal Working | $46,236 | $5,351 | $8.64 |
| Western Technical College | WI | Precision Metal Working | $47,343 | $5,500 | $8.61 |
| Manhattan Area Technical College | KS | Precision Metal Working | $47,196 | $5,500 | $8.58 |
| Gateway Community and Technical College | KY | Precision Metal Working | $60,680 | $7,125 | $8.52 |
| Delta College | MI | Precision Metal Working | $46,691 | $5,500 | $8.49 |
| Fort Hays Tech North Central | KS | Precision Metal Working | $46,143 | $5,500 | $8.39 |
| Texas State Technical College | TX | Precision Metal Working | $45,978 | $5,500 | $8.36 |
What the data shows
Value means what you earn for what you pay. The ranking puts first-year earnings first because it is the outcome students feel right away; the earnings-per-dollar column shows which welding programs deliver the most pay for each dollar borrowed.
Programs missing from this list are not necessarily bad; many simply have too few federal-aid graduates for the Department of Education to publish earnings.
Methodology
Program figures come from the College Scorecard field-of-study file: one record per institution × 4-digit CIP code × credential level. Earnings are median annual earnings of federal-aid recipients who completed the program and were working and not enrolled, measured 1, 4, and 5 years after completion (in the dollar year of the Scorecard release). Debt is the median federal loan balance (Stafford and Grad PLUS) at completion; private loans and Parent PLUS are excluded. Programs with too few graduates are suppressed by the Department of Education and drop out of each column.
Earnings per $1 of debt = median first-year earnings ÷ median federal debt at completion. Programs without published debt show a dash.
Graduate-only health fields (dentistry, medicine, pharmacy, and similar) are excluded, as are health certificates at bachelor's- or graduate-predominant universities, which are usually post-degree credentials (such as nurse anesthesia) rather than entry-level training.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best-value welding program?
By first-year earnings, Ferris State University in MI leads at $72,223, based on College Scorecard program data.
How much do welding program graduates earn?
The median program pays $40,507 in the first year after completion.
How much debt do welding students take on?
Median federal debt at completion is $9,500 across programs that report it.
Data sources
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard institution and field-of-study files (latest release in our extract)