2027 Best Value Manufacturing Engineering Technology Schools in Illinois
[Manufacturing Engineering Technology](/majors/engineering-technologies/industrial-production-technology/manufacturing-engineering-technology/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong manufacturing engineering technology education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find the best return on investment for manufacturing engineering technology students.
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2027 Best Value Manufacturing Engineering Technology Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in manufacturing engineering technology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Manufacturing Engineering Technology Schools
Joliet Junior College tops our 2027 list of the best value manufacturing engineering technology schools in Illinois. Joliet Junior College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Joliet. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,530, compared with $13,800 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for manufacturing engineering technology graduates is $11,995. Soon after graduation, manufacturing engineering technology degree recipients from Joliet Junior College generally make around $40,118. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #2 makes Lake Land College one of the best values for manufacturing engineering technology. Lake Land College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Mattoon. Students from in state pay about $4,415 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $14,301. Typical student debt for manufacturing engineering technology graduates is $7,769. Soon after graduation, manufacturing engineering technology degree recipients from Lake Land College generally make around $30,294. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Kankakee Community College earned it the #3 place for manufacturing engineering technology. Kankakee Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Kankakee. Students from in state pay about $5,220 in tuition and fees, compared with $25,830 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $13,289 to complete the manufacturing engineering technology program here. Soon after graduation, manufacturing engineering technology degree recipients from Kankakee Community College generally make around $60,509. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Oakton Community College earned it the #4 place for manufacturing engineering technology. Oakton Community College is a large public school located in the city of Des Plaines. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,985, while out-of-state students pay about $12,462. Typical student debt for manufacturing engineering technology graduates is $7,750. Early-career manufacturing engineering technology graduates make about $48,838. That is a strong return on a $7,750 median debt.
Highland Community College Freeport is a great value for students pursuing a degree in manufacturing engineering technology, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the rural area of Freeport, Highland Community College Freeport is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,936 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $7,360. Students borrow a median of $13,783 to complete the manufacturing engineering technology program here. Manufacturing Engineering Technology graduates of Highland Community College Freeport earn a median of $46,384 early in their careers. Set against $13,783 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
College Of Lake County landed the #6 spot for manufacturing engineering technology value this year. College Of Lake County is a very large public school located in the suburb of Grayslake. In-state tuition and fees average $4,788, compared with $14,400 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for manufacturing engineering technology graduates is $9,785. Manufacturing Engineering Technology graduates of College Of Lake County earn a median of $50,314 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $9,785 median debt.
City Colleges Of Chicago Richard J Daley College ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best value manufacturing engineering technology schools. Set in the city of Chicago, City Colleges Of Chicago Richard J Daley College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,590, compared with $15,150 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for manufacturing engineering technology graduates is $7,500. Early-career manufacturing engineering technology graduates make about $33,326. Set against $7,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Waubonsee Community College landed the #8 spot for manufacturing engineering technology value this year. Located in the rural area of Sugar Grove, Waubonsee Community College is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,504, compared with $10,464 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for manufacturing engineering technology graduates is $9,939. Soon after graduation, manufacturing engineering technology degree recipients from Waubonsee Community College generally make around $39,659. Set against $9,939 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #9 on our 2027 list of the best value manufacturing engineering technology schools. Located in the town of Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $13,334 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for manufacturing engineering technology graduates is $22,000. Soon after graduation, manufacturing engineering technology degree recipients from Southern Illinois University Carbondale generally make around $73,283. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 87%.
More Manufacturing Engineering Technology Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 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.
