2025 Best Machine Tool Technology/Machinist Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region

Machine Tool Technology/Machinist is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #141 most popular associate degree program in the country. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 11 schools in the Plains States Region to determine which ones were the best for machine tool technology/machinist students pursuing a associate degree. Combined, these schools handed out 138 associate degrees in machine tool technology/machinist to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

• Best Associate Degree Schools List

Choosing a Great Machine Tool Technology/Machinist School for Your Associate Degree

Your choice of machine tool technology/machinist for getting your associate degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

The overall quality of a associate degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

• Major Focus - How much a school focuses on machine tool technology/machinist students vs. other majors.
• Major Demand - How many other machine tool technology/machinist students want to attend this school to pursue a associate degree.
• Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
• Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized machine tool technology/machinist related body.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for machine tool technology/machinist students working on their associate degree.

More Ways to Rank Machine Tool Technology/Machinist Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Machine Tool Technology/Machinist Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Machine Tool Technology/Machinist in the Plains States Region

Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for machine tool technology/machinist students seeking a an associate degree.

10 Top Plains States Region Schools for an Associate in Machine Tool Tech

1

Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology
Wichita, KS

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

18 Annual Graduates

Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology is a wonderful option for individuals interested in an associate degree in machine tool technology/machinist. Located in the city of Wichita, WSU Tech is a public university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a associate in machine tool technology/machinist from Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology

2

Lake Area Technical Institute
Watertown, SD

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

9 Annual Graduates

Lake Area Technical Institute is one of the finest schools in the country for getting an associate degree in machine tool technology/machinist. LATI is a small public school located in the town of Watertown.More information about a associate in machine tool technology/machinist from Lake Area Technical Institute

3

North Dakota State College of Science
Wahpeton, ND

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

7 Annual Graduates

It's hard to beat North Dakota State College of Science if you wish to pursue an associate degree in machine tool technology/machinist. North Dakota State College of Science is a small public college located in the town of Wahpeton.More information about a associate in machine tool technology/machinist from North Dakota State College of Science

4

Ranken Technical College
Saint Louis, MO

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

11 Annual Graduates

Ranken Technical College is a great option for students interested in an associate degree in machine tool technology/machinist. Located in the city of Saint Louis, Ranken Technical College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a associate in machine tool technology/machinist from Ranken Technical College

5

Dunwoody College of Technology
Minneapolis, MN

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

5 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Minneapolis, Dunwoody College of Technology is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a associate in machine tool technology/machinist from Dunwoody College of Technology

6

State Technical College of Missouri
Linn, MO

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

33 Annual Graduates

Located in the rural area of Linn, STC is a public college with a small student population.More information about a associate in machine tool technology/machinist from State Technical College of Missouri

7

Central Community College
Grand Island, NE

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

14 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Grand Island, Central Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.More information about a associate in machine tool technology/machinist from Central Community College

8

Des Moines Area Community College
Ankeny, IA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

8 Annual Graduates

Located in the suburb of Ankeny, DMACC is a public college with a very large student population.More information about a associate in machine tool technology/machinist from Des Moines Area Community College

9

Indian Hills Community College
Ottumwa, IA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

5 Annual Graduates

IHCC is a small public college located in the town of Ottumwa.More information about a associate in machine tool technology/machinist from Indian Hills Community College

10

Western Dakota Technical Institute
Rapid City, SD

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

5 Annual Graduates

Western Dakota Tech is a small public school located in the city of Rapid City.More information about a associate in machine tool technology/machinist from Western Dakota Technical Institute

Best Machine Tool Technology/Machinist Colleges by State

Explore the best machine tool technology/machinist colleges for a specific state in the Plains States Region .

State	Colleges	Degrees Awarded
Minnesota	299	14
Kansas	275	17
Missouri	210	63
Iowa	200	12
Nebraska	163	33
South Dakota	148	19
North Dakota	144	6

View All Rankings >

Rankings in Majors Related to Machine Tool Tech

One of 8 majors within the Precision Metal Working area of study, Machine Tool Technology/Machinist has other similar majors worth exploring.

Majors Similar to Machine Tool Tech

Related Major	Annual Graduates
Welding Technology/Welder	393
Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist	79
Tool & Die Technology/Technician	32
Other Precision Metal Working	22
Metal Fabricator	8
Sheet Metal Technology/Sheetworking	3

Notes and References

• The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
• 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 the rest 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.