2026 Best Value Airframe Mechanics & Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Airframe Mechanics & Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician](/majors/mechanical-repair-technologies/vehicle-maintenance-repair-tech/airframe-mechanics-and-aircraft-maintenance-technology-technician/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 19 schools to find the best return on investment for airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician students.
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2026 Best Value Airframe Mechanics & Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Airframe Mechanics & Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician Schools
For return on investment in airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician, no school beat Lansing Community College this year. Located in the city of Lansing, Lansing Community College is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,100, compared with $11,300 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $16,700 to complete the airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician program here. Soon after graduation, airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician degree recipients from Lansing Community College generally make around $46,103. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Lincoln Land Community College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician schools. Lincoln Land Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Springfield. Students from in state pay about $3,744 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $10,464. Students borrow a median of $9,500 to complete the airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician program here. Soon after graduation, airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician degree recipients from Lincoln Land Community College generally make around $48,308. That is a strong return on a $9,500 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician will find it at Ivy Tech Community College, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Indianapolis, Ivy Tech Community College is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $5,154 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $9,935. Students borrow a median of $7,500 to complete the airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician program here. Soon after graduation, airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician degree recipients from Ivy Tech Community College generally make around $37,994. Set against $7,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Sinclair Community College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician schools. Located in the city of Dayton, Sinclair Community College is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $3,675 in tuition and fees, compared with $8,556 for out-of-state students. Airframe Mechanics & Aircraft Maintenance Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $12,525 in student loans. Early-career airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician graduates make about $35,348. Set against $12,525 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Southwestern Illinois College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician schools. Southwestern Illinois College is a large public school located in the suburb of Belleville. In-state tuition and fees average $4,230, compared with $6,720 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $10,388 to complete the airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician program here. Early-career airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician graduates make about $44,345. That is a strong return on a $10,388 median debt.
Rock Valley College earned the #6 position for value in airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician this year. Set in the city of Rockford, Rock Valley College is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,334 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $7,379. Airframe Mechanics & Aircraft Maintenance Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $8,745 in student loans. Soon after graduation, airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician degree recipients from Rock Valley College generally make around $41,625. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Columbus State Community College ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician schools. Set in the city of Columbus, Columbus State Community College is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,488, with out-of-state students paying around $11,224. Airframe Mechanics & Aircraft Maintenance Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $9,041 in student loans. Median earnings reach $39,435 ten years out. Set against $9,041 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Milwaukee Area Technical College placed #8 among the best values for airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician. Milwaukee Area Technical College is a very large public school located in the city of Milwaukee. In-state tuition and fees average $5,184, with out-of-state students paying around $7,427. Airframe Mechanics & Aircraft Maintenance Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $8,375 in student loans. Early-career airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician graduates make about $35,427. Set against $8,375 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Vincennes University ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best value airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician schools. Set in the town of Vincennes, Vincennes University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,126, while out-of-state students pay about $16,858. Airframe Mechanics & Aircraft Maintenance Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $12,421 in student loans. Soon after graduation, airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician degree recipients from Vincennes University generally make around $51,346. Set against $12,421 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Fox Valley Technical College landed the #10 spot for airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician value this year. Located in the suburb of Appleton, Fox Valley Technical College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,040, while out-of-state students pay about $7,283. Typical student debt for airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician graduates is $9,625. Soon after graduation, airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician degree recipients from Fox Valley Technical College generally make around $46,837. Set against $9,625 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
School Of Missionary Aviation Technology earned the #11 position for value in airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician this year. Located in the rural area of Ionia, School Of Missionary Aviation Technology is a small private not-for-profit university.
Miat College Of Technology ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best value airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician schools. Set in the suburb of Canton, Miat College Of Technology is a mid-sized private for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,165. Students borrow a median of $21,284 to complete the airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician program here. Early-career airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician graduates make about $42,651. Set against $21,284 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Aviation Institute Of Maintenance Chicago landed the #13 spot for airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician value this year. Located in the city of Chicago, Aviation Institute Of Maintenance Chicago is a small private for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $16,657 in tuition and fees. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $53,341.
Aviation Institute Of Maintenance Indianapolis earned the #14 position for value in airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician this year. Located in the city of Indianapolis, Aviation Institute Of Maintenance Indianapolis is a small private for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $16,757 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $31,263 to complete the airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician program here. Early-career airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician graduates make about $47,951. Set against $31,263 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 19 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
