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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Carpentry Schools in the Great Lakes Region

1 Colleges in the United States
839 Carpentry Degrees Awarded
$40,757 Avg Early-Career Salary

Carpentry programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 29 schools to find the best for carpentry students.

What’s on this page:

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Best Schools for Carpentry in the Great Lakes Region

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the carpentry degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Carpentry

1

Southwest Wisconsin Technical College is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in carpentry. Set in the rural area of Fennimore, Southwest Wisconsin Technical College is a mid-sized public institution. There were roughly 19 carpentry students who graduated with this degree at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College in the most recent data year. Students who receive their carpentry degree from Southwest Wisconsin Technical College earn around $42,087 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $12,112 to complete this degree. Get the full carpentry details for Southwest Wisconsin Technical College

2

A rank of #2 makes Northeast Wisconsin Technical College one of the top schools for carpentry. Located in the city of Green Bay, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College is a large public university. Northeast Wisconsin Technical College awarded about 102 carpentry degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, carpentry degree recipients from Northeast Wisconsin Technical College generally make around $42,016. Typical student debt for the program is $14,997. See the full carpentry program report for Northeast Wisconsin Technical College

3
Ivy Tech Community College crest
Ivy Tech Community College
Indianapolis, IN

Students looking for a strong carpentry program will find one at Ivy Tech Community College, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Indianapolis, Ivy Tech Community College is a very large public institution. There were roughly 440 carpentry students who graduated with this degree at Ivy Tech Community College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, carpentry degree recipients from Ivy Tech Community College generally make around $51,104. Typical student debt for the program is $9,125. Read more about the carpentry program at Ivy Tech Community College

4

Fox Valley Technical College is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in carpentry, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Appleton, Fox Valley Technical College is a large public university. About 12 carpentry degrees were awarded at Fox Valley Technical College in the most recent year. Carpentry graduates of Fox Valley Technical College earn a median of $44,020 early in their careers. Fox Valley Technical College graduates carry a median of $13,319 in student loans. See the full carpentry program report for Fox Valley Technical College

5

Waukesha County Technical College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best carpentry schools. Set in the suburb of Pewaukee, Waukesha County Technical College is a large public institution. About 21 carpentry degrees were awarded at Waukesha County Technical College in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, carpentry degree recipients from Waukesha County Technical College generally make around $46,398. Students borrow a median of $16,595 to complete this degree. See the full carpentry program report for Waukesha County Technical College

6

Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College placed #6 among the best carpentry schools. Located in the town of Rice Lake, Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College is a moderately-sized public university. Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College awarded about 33 carpentry degrees in the most recent data year. Carpentry graduates of Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College earn a median of $35,981 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $11,384 to complete this degree. See the full carpentry program report for Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College

7

Milwaukee Area Technical College ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best carpentry schools. This very large public university is located in the city of Milwaukee. There were roughly 22 carpentry students who graduated with this degree at Milwaukee Area Technical College in the most recent data year. Students who receive their carpentry degree from Milwaukee Area Technical College earn around $38,325 in the first couple years of their career. Milwaukee Area Technical College graduates carry a median of $18,296 in student loans. Read more about the carpentry program at Milwaukee Area Technical College

8

Madison Area Technical College placed #8 among the best carpentry schools. This large public university is located in the city of Madison. There were roughly 107 carpentry students who graduated with this degree at Madison Area Technical College in the most recent data year. Students who receive their carpentry degree from Madison Area Technical College earn around $44,279 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $16,812 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in carpentry from Madison Area Technical College

9
Kaskaskia College crest
Kaskaskia College
Centralia, IL

Kaskaskia College ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best carpentry schools. Set in the rural area of Centralia, Kaskaskia College is a moderately-sized public institution. About 20 carpentry degrees were awarded at Kaskaskia College in the most recent year. Carpentry graduates of Kaskaskia College earn a median of $45,658 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $7,875 to complete this degree. Get the full carpentry details for Kaskaskia College

10

City Colleges Of Chicago Kennedy King College ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best carpentry schools. Located in the city of Chicago, City Colleges Of Chicago Kennedy King College is a mid-sized public university. City Colleges Of Chicago Kennedy King College awarded about 63 carpentry degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the carpentry program make about $17,697 in their early career. City Colleges Of Chicago Kennedy King College graduates carry a median of $13,175 in student loans. See the full carpentry program report for City Colleges Of Chicago Kennedy King College

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Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 29 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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