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2023 Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region

45 Ranked Colleges
6,869 Degrees Awarded
$12,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Engineering Technologies is the 20th most popular major in the country with 85,188 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, engineering technologies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $52,350 and had an average of $21,560 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 6,869 engineering technologies graduates with average earnings and debt of $51,810 and $21,372 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking looked at 45 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in engineering technologies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great engineering technologies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the engineering technologies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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The engineering tech school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Engineering Technologies in the Plains States Region

1
BSC crest
Bismarck State College
Bismarck, North Dakota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Bismarck State College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region. Bismarck State College is a small school located in Bismarck, North Dakota that handed out 296 ’s engineering tech degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at BSC, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Engineering Technologies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for BSC is $9,756 for plains states region engineering tech students.

Full BSC Engineering Technologies Report

2
Ranken Technical College crest
Ranken Technical College
Saint Louis, Missouri

Out of the 45 schools in the Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Ranken Technical College landed the #2 spot on the list. Ranken Technical College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 239 ’s engineering tech degrees in 2020-2021.

Ranken Technical College also took the #1 spot in our “Best Engineering Technologies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ranken Technical College is $15,535 for Plains States Region Engineering Tech students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering Technologies at Ranken Technical College

3
Ridgewater College crest
Ridgewater College
Willmar, Minnesota

Out of the 45 schools in the Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Ridgewater College landed the #3 spot on the list. Ridgewater College is a small school located in Willmar, Minnesota that handed out 63 ’s engineering tech degrees in 2020-2021.

Ridgewater College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Engineering Technologies Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ridgewater College is $11,436 for plains states region engineering tech students.

Read more about Engineering Technologies at Ridgewater College

4
Hennepin Technical College crest
Hennepin Technical College
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hennepin Technical College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region list. Hennepin Technical College is a public institution located in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 328 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Hennepin Technical College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Engineering Technologies Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Hennepin Technical College is $10,726 for plains states region engineering tech students.

Read more about Engineering Technologies at Hennepin Technical College

5
LATI crest
Lake Area Technical Institute
Watertown, South Dakota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lake Area Technical Institute. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region. Watertown, South Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering tech degrees to 57 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at LATI, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Engineering Technologies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $13,301 for Plains States Region Engineering Tech students per year to attend LATI.

Read full report on Engineering Technologies at LATI

6

With a ranking of #6, Indian Hills Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region list. Ottumwa, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering tech degrees to 74 students in 2020-2021.

IHCC also took the #18 spot in our “Best Engineering Technologies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $8,242 for Plains States Region Engineering Tech students per year to attend Indian Hills Community College.

Full Indian Hills Community College Engineering Technologies Report

7

With a ranking of #7, St Cloud Technical and Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region list. St Cloud Technical and Community College is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 88 ’s engineering tech degrees to qualified students.

St Cloud Technical and Community College also made our “Best Engineering Technologies Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $9,249 for Plains States Region Engineering Tech students per year to attend St Cloud Technical and Community College.

Read full report on Engineering Technologies at St Cloud Technical and Community College

8
Anoka Technical College crest
Anoka Technical College
Anoka, Minnesota

Anoka Technical College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #8. Anoka Technical College is located in Anoka, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 96 ’s engineering tech degrees to qualified students.

Anoka Technical College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Engineering Technologies Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Anoka Technical College is $13,236 for Plains States Region Engineering Tech students.

Read more about Engineering Technologies at Anoka Technical College

9

Southeast Community College Area did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #9. Southeast Community College Area is located in Lincoln, Nebraska and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 143 ’s engineering tech degrees to qualified students.

Southeast Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Engineering Technologies Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Southeast Community College is $7,190 for plains states region engineering tech students.

Read more about Engineering Technologies at Southeast Community College Area

10
Kirkwood Community College crest
Kirkwood Community College
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

With a ranking of #10, Kirkwood Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region list. Kirkwood Community College is a fairly large school located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa that handed out 135 ’s engineering tech degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Kirkwood Community College, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Engineering Technologies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Kirkwood Community College is $9,906 for plains states region engineering tech students.

Read more about Engineering Technologies at Kirkwood Community College

11
Mitchell Tech crest
Mitchell Technical College
Mitchell, South Dakota

Mitchell Technical College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Mitchell, South Dakota, this small public school handed out 50 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering tech students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,813 for Plains States Region Engineering Tech students per year to attend Mitchell Tech.

Read full report on Engineering Technologies at Mitchell Technical College

12

Northeast Community College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Northeast is a medium-sized school located in Norfolk, Nebraska that handed out 66 ’s engineering tech degrees in 2020-2021.

Northeast not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Engineering Technologies Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Northeast is $9,029 for Plains States Region Engineering Tech students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering Technologies at Northeast

13

North Dakota State College of Science ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in Wahpeton, North Dakota, this small public school awarded 78 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering tech students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State College of Science is $11,084 for Plains States Region Engineering Tech students.

Full North Dakota State College of Science Engineering Technologies Report

14

North Dakota State University - Main Campus landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. North Dakota State University is a public institution located in Fargo, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region engineering tech students list, North Dakota State University has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Engineering Technologies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,998 for Plains States Region Engineering Tech students per year to attend North Dakota State University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering Technologies at North Dakota State University - Main Campus

15
South Central College crest
South Central College
North Mankato, Minnesota

South Central College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. North Mankato, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering tech degrees to 46 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $10,358 for Plains States Region Engineering Tech students per year to attend South Central College.

Read more about Engineering Technologies at South Central College

16

With a ranking of #16, Alexandria Technical & Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region list. Alexandria Technical & Community College is a public institution located in Alexandria, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend ATCC is $13,636 for Plains States Region Engineering Tech students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Alexandria Technical & Community College Engineering Technologies Report

17
Southeast Tech crest
Southeast Technical College
Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Southeast Technical College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #17. Sioux Falls, South Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering tech degrees to 71 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Southeast Technical College is $16,188 for Plains States Region Engineering Tech students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Southeast Technical College Engineering Technologies Report

18

University of Northern Iowa ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region list. UNI is a medium-sized public school situated in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It awarded 77 ’s engineering tech degrees in 2020-2021.

UNI also took the #5 spot in our “Best Engineering Technologies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Northern Iowa is $16,438 for Plains States Region Engineering Tech students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering Technologies at UNI

19

Dakota County Technical College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Dakota County Technical College is a small school located in Rosemount, Minnesota that handed out 46 ’s engineering tech degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for DCTC is $11,044 for plains states region engineering tech students.

Read more about Engineering Technologies at Dakota County Technical College

20

Iowa State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region list. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering tech degrees to 124 students in 2020-2021.

Iowa State also took the #2 spot in our “Best Engineering Technologies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,002 for plains states region engineering tech students per year to attend Iowa State University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering Technologies at Iowa State

21
WSC crest
Wayne State College
Wayne, Nebraska

Wayne State College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #21. WSC is a public institution located in Wayne, Nebraska. The school has a small population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Wayne State College is $14,141 for plains states region engineering tech students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering Technologies at Wayne State College

22

Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. WSU Tech is a small public school situated in Wichita, Kansas. It awarded 131 ’s engineering tech degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,696 for Plains States Region Engineering Tech students per year to attend WSU Tech.

Full WSU Tech Engineering Technologies Report

23

Missouri State University - Springfield ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region list. Missouri State is a large school located in Springfield, Missouri that handed out 87 ’s engineering tech degrees in 2020-2021.

Missouri State also took the #16 spot in our “Best Engineering Technologies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Missouri State University - Springfield is $16,718 for Plains States Region Engineering Tech students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering Technologies at Missouri State

24
South Dakota State crest
South Dakota State University
Brookings, South Dakota

South Dakota State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #24. This fairly large school is located in Brookings, South Dakota, and it awarded 29 ’s engineering tech degrees in 2020-2021.

South Dakota State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Engineering Technologies Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend South Dakota State is $18,578 for plains states region engineering tech students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering Technologies at South Dakota State

25

With a ranking of #25, Pittsburg State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Tech Schools in the Plains States Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Pittsburg, Kansas, and it awarded 231 ’s engineering tech degrees in 2020-2021.

Pitt State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Engineering Technologies Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Pittsburg State University is $14,575 for Plains States Region Engineering Tech students.

Full Pitt State Engineering Technologies Report

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