2026 Best Value Industrial Technology/Technician Schools in the Far Western Region
[Industrial Technology/Technician](/majors/engineering-technologies/industrial-production-technology/industrial-technology-technician/) 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 15 schools to find the best return on investment for industrial technology/technician students.
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2026 Best Value Industrial Technology/Technician Schools in the Far Western Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in industrial technology/technician, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Industrial Technology/Technician Schools
California State University Los Angeles earned the #1 spot for value among industrial technology/technician schools in the Far Western Region. California State University Los Angeles is a very large public school located in the city of Los Angeles. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,164, with out-of-state students paying around $19,764. Industrial Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $15,883 in student loans. Industrial Technology/technician graduates of California State University Los Angeles earn a median of $45,287 early in their careers. Set against $15,883 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
California State University Fresno is a great value for students pursuing a degree in industrial technology/technician, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Fresno, California State University Fresno is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $7,341, compared with $19,941 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $10,518 to complete the industrial technology/technician program here. Early-career industrial technology/technician graduates make about $42,807. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 95%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Great Basin College earned it the #3 place for industrial technology/technician. Located in the town of Elko, Great Basin College is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $3,923 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $11,996. Typical student debt for industrial technology/technician graduates is $17,128. Industrial Technology/technician graduates of Great Basin College earn a median of $67,461 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $17,128 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in industrial technology/technician will find it at Olympic College, which ranked #4. Olympic College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Bremerton. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,472, compared with $9,740 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $6,875 to complete the industrial technology/technician program here. Early-career industrial technology/technician graduates make about $86,309. Set against $6,875 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Western Nevada College earned it the #5 place for industrial technology/technician. Western Nevada College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Carson City. In-state tuition and fees average $4,168, while out-of-state students pay about $12,834. Students borrow a median of $15,948 to complete the industrial technology/technician program here. Early-career industrial technology/technician graduates make about $47,257. That is a strong return on a $15,948 median debt.
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo earned the #6 position for value in industrial technology/technician this year. Set in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,161, with out-of-state students paying around $33,230. Students borrow a median of $18,250 to complete the industrial technology/technician program here. Soon after graduation, industrial technology/technician degree recipients from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo generally make around $78,938. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 31%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 15 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.
