2026 Best Value Manufacturing Engineering Technology Schools in Missouri
[Manufacturing Engineering Technology](/majors/engineering-technologies/industrial-production-technology/manufacturing-engineering-technology/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong manufacturing engineering technology education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 15 schools to find the best return on investment for manufacturing engineering technology students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Manufacturing Engineering Technology Schools in Missouri
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the manufacturing engineering technology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Manufacturing Engineering Technology Schools
Leading the list is Crowder College, our #1 best value for manufacturing engineering technology in Missouri. Set in the town of Neosho, Crowder College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,104, with out-of-state students paying around $5,784. Students borrow a median of $9,887 to complete the manufacturing engineering technology program here. Soon after graduation, manufacturing engineering technology degree recipients from Crowder College generally make around $36,148. That is a strong return on a $9,887 median debt.
State Fair Community College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value manufacturing engineering technology schools. Set in the town of Sedalia, State Fair Community College is a mid-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,176, with out-of-state students paying around $7,416. Manufacturing Engineering Technology graduates carry a median of $15,328 in student loans. Manufacturing Engineering Technology graduates of State Fair Community College earn a median of $39,168 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Missouri State University West Plains is a great value for students pursuing a degree in manufacturing engineering technology, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the town of West Plains, Missouri State University West Plains is a mid-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,936, while out-of-state students pay about $8,106. Typical student debt for manufacturing engineering technology graduates is $11,250. Early-career manufacturing engineering technology graduates make about $42,523. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in manufacturing engineering technology will find it at Missouri Southern State University, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Joplin, Missouri Southern State University is a mid-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $9,600, with out-of-state students paying around $18,300. Typical student debt for manufacturing engineering technology graduates is $22,241. Early-career manufacturing engineering technology graduates make about $39,434. That is a strong return on a $22,241 median debt. Roughly 97% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in manufacturing engineering technology will find it at East Central College, which ranked #5. Located in the town of Union, East Central College is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $4,272 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $7,680. Manufacturing Engineering Technology graduates carry a median of $12,062 in student loans. Manufacturing Engineering Technology graduates of East Central College earn a median of $37,925 early in their careers. Set against $12,062 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Linn State Technical College came in at #6 for value in manufacturing engineering technology this year. Set in the rural area of Linn, Linn State Technical College is a mid-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,160, compared with $14,610 for out-of-state students. Manufacturing Engineering Technology graduates carry a median of $11,042 in student loans. Early-career manufacturing engineering technology graduates make about $45,538. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
More Manufacturing Engineering Technology Rankings
View All Manufacturing Engineering Technology Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 15 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
