by our College Data Analytics Team
[Vehicle Maintenance & Repair](/majors/mechanical-repair-technologies/vehicle-maintenance-repair-tech/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for vehicle maintenance & repair students.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the vehicle maintenance & repair degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in vehicle maintenance & repair, no school beat Western Dakota Technical Institute this year. Western Dakota Technical Institute is a small public school located in the city of Rapid City. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,294. Typical student debt for vehicle maintenance & repair graduates is $15,125. Early-career vehicle maintenance & repair graduates make about $38,031. Set against $15,125 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #2 makes Lake Area Technical Institute one of the best values for vehicle maintenance & repair. Located in the town of Watertown, Lake Area Technical Institute is a mid-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $6,718. Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates carry a median of $12,000 in student loans. Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates of Lake Area Technical Institute earn a median of $47,080 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $12,000 median debt.
Southeast Technical Institute is a great value for students pursuing a degree in vehicle maintenance & repair, landing the #3 spot this year. Southeast Technical Institute is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Sioux Falls. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,650. Typical student debt for vehicle maintenance & repair graduates is $12,000. Early-career vehicle maintenance & repair graduates make about $46,262. That is a strong return on a $12,000 median debt.
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This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.