2026 Best Value Machine Shop Technology/Assistant Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Machine Shop Technology/Assistant](/majors/production-product-development/precision-metal-working/machine-shop-technology-assistant/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong machine shop technology/assistant education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 19 schools to find the best return on investment for machine shop technology/assistant students.
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2026 Best Value Machine Shop Technology/Assistant Schools in the Great Lakes Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the machine shop technology/assistant degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Machine Shop Technology/Assistant Schools
Our analysis ranked Illinois Valley Community College the best value for a degree in machine shop technology/assistant in the Great Lakes Region. Set in the town of Oglesby, Illinois Valley Community College is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,200 in tuition and fees, compared with $16,385 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $8,099 to complete the machine shop technology/assistant program here. Machine Shop Technology/assistant graduates of Illinois Valley Community College earn a median of $33,224 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #2 makes Ivy Tech Community College one of the best values for machine shop technology/assistant. Ivy Tech Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Indianapolis. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,154, with out-of-state students paying around $9,935. Typical student debt for machine shop technology/assistant graduates is $6,599. Machine Shop Technology/assistant graduates of Ivy Tech Community College earn a median of $49,030 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in machine shop technology/assistant will find it at Muskegon Community College, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Muskegon, Muskegon Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,250, while out-of-state students pay about $16,010. Machine Shop Technology/assistant graduates carry a median of $14,928 in student loans. Soon after graduation, machine shop technology/assistant degree recipients from Muskegon Community College generally make around $48,267. That is a strong return on a $14,928 median debt.
A rank of #4 makes John Wood Community College one of the best values for machine shop technology/assistant. Set in the town of Quincy, John Wood Community College is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,100 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $8,700. Students borrow a median of $13,844 to complete the machine shop technology/assistant program here. Machine Shop Technology/assistant graduates of John Wood Community College earn a median of $45,748 early in their careers. Set against $13,844 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in machine shop technology/assistant will find it at Southwestern Illinois College, which ranked #5. Southwestern Illinois College is a large public school located in the suburb of Belleville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,230, compared with $6,720 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for machine shop technology/assistant graduates is $6,500. Early-career machine shop technology/assistant graduates make about $31,692. Set against $6,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Mchenry County College ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value machine shop technology/assistant schools. Set in the rural area of Crystal Lake, Mchenry County College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,162, with out-of-state students paying around $14,399. Students borrow a median of $7,440 to complete the machine shop technology/assistant program here. Early-career machine shop technology/assistant graduates make about $24,177. That is a strong return on a $7,440 median debt.
Lakeshore Technical College ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value machine shop technology/assistant schools. Set in the rural area of Cleveland, Lakeshore Technical College is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,844, while out-of-state students pay about $7,087. Machine Shop Technology/assistant graduates carry a median of $11,582 in student loans. Soon after graduation, machine shop technology/assistant degree recipients from Lakeshore Technical College generally make around $41,252. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Parkland College ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value machine shop technology/assistant schools. Located in the city of Champaign, Parkland College is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,284, compared with $13,266 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for machine shop technology/assistant graduates is $10,168. Soon after graduation, machine shop technology/assistant degree recipients from Parkland College generally make around $40,409. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Waukesha County Technical College ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best value machine shop technology/assistant schools. Set in the suburb of Pewaukee, Waukesha County Technical College is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,803 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $7,046. Typical student debt for machine shop technology/assistant graduates is $9,500. Early-career machine shop technology/assistant graduates make about $43,380. Set against $9,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Auburn Career Center landed the #10 spot for machine shop technology/assistant value this year. Set in the suburb of Concord Twp, Auburn Career Center is a small public institution. Typical student debt for machine shop technology/assistant graduates is $10,807. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $37,032. Set against $10,807 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Milwaukee Area Technical College placed #11 among the best values for machine shop technology/assistant. Milwaukee Area Technical College is a very large public school located in the city of Milwaukee. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,184, with out-of-state students paying around $7,427. Machine Shop Technology/assistant graduates carry a median of $9,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, machine shop technology/assistant degree recipients from Milwaukee Area Technical College generally make around $38,325. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College landed the #12 spot for machine shop technology/assistant value this year. Located in the city of Green Bay, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,960, while out-of-state students pay about $7,203. Typical student debt for machine shop technology/assistant graduates is $5,500. Early-career machine shop technology/assistant graduates make about $41,421. That is a strong return on a $5,500 median debt.
Fox Valley Technical College landed the #13 spot for machine shop technology/assistant value this year. Located in the suburb of Appleton, Fox Valley Technical College is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,040, with out-of-state students paying around $7,283. Students borrow a median of $7,664 to complete the machine shop technology/assistant program here. Early-career machine shop technology/assistant graduates make about $52,978. Set against $7,664 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Grand Rapids Community College placed #14 among the best values for machine shop technology/assistant. Set in the city of Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Community College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,179, compared with $12,219 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for machine shop technology/assistant graduates is $4,540. Early-career machine shop technology/assistant graduates make about $42,066. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Illinois Central College placed #15 among the best values for machine shop technology/assistant. Located in the suburb of East Peoria, Illinois Central College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,800, with out-of-state students paying around $12,150. Machine Shop Technology/assistant graduates carry a median of $12,222 in student loans. Early-career machine shop technology/assistant graduates make about $53,190. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Chippewa Valley Technical College earned the #16 position for value in machine shop technology/assistant this year. Set in the city of Eau Claire, Chippewa Valley Technical College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,844, while out-of-state students pay about $7,087. Machine Shop Technology/assistant graduates carry a median of $8,109 in student loans. Soon after graduation, machine shop technology/assistant degree recipients from Chippewa Valley Technical College generally make around $45,531. Set against $8,109 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Madison Area Technical College came in at #17 for value in machine shop technology/assistant this year. Located in the city of Madison, Madison Area Technical College is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,977, while out-of-state students pay about $7,141. Machine Shop Technology/assistant graduates carry a median of $9,500 in student loans. Early-career machine shop technology/assistant graduates make about $37,860. Set against $9,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
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Notes and References
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 · 19 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.
