[Machine Tool Technology/Machinist](/majors/production-product-development/precision-metal-working/machine-tool-technology-machinist/) 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 3 schools to find the best return on investment for machine tool technology/machinist students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in machine tool technology/machinist, balancing cost against outcomes.
Western Dakota Technical Institute tops our 2026 list of the best value machine tool technology/machinist schools in South Dakota. Set in the city of Rapid City, Western Dakota Technical Institute is a small public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,294. Typical student debt for machine tool technology/machinist graduates is $10,563. Soon after graduation, machine tool technology/machinist degree recipients from Western Dakota Technical Institute generally make around $41,166. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in machine tool technology/machinist will find it at Lake Area Technical Institute, which ranked #2. Located in the town of Watertown, Lake Area Technical Institute is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,718. Students borrow a median of $11,001 to complete the machine tool technology/machinist program here. Machine Tool Technology/machinist graduates of Lake Area Technical Institute earn a median of $43,436 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $11,001 median debt.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 3 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.
