2026 Best Value Manufacturing Engineering Technology Schools in Texas
[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 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 11 schools to find the best return on investment for manufacturing engineering technology students.
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2026 Best Value Manufacturing Engineering Technology Schools in Texas
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in manufacturing engineering technology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Manufacturing Engineering Technology Schools
Austin Community College District earned the #1 spot for value among manufacturing engineering technology schools in Texas. Located in the city of Austin, Austin Community College District is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,550, compared with $10,590 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $14,519 to complete the manufacturing engineering technology program here. Manufacturing Engineering Technology graduates of Austin Community College District earn a median of $44,895 early in their careers. Set against $14,519 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in manufacturing engineering technology will find it at Kilgore College, which ranked #2. Kilgore College is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Kilgore. In-state tuition and fees average $2,160, compared with $5,256 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for manufacturing engineering technology graduates is $16,734. Manufacturing Engineering Technology graduates of Kilgore College earn a median of $44,322 early in their careers. Set against $16,734 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Northeast Texas Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in manufacturing engineering technology, landing the #3 spot this year. Northeast Texas Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Mount Pleasant. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,980, while out-of-state students pay about $5,620. Typical student debt for manufacturing engineering technology graduates is $15,089. Soon after graduation, manufacturing engineering technology degree recipients from Northeast Texas Community College generally make around $37,839. That is a strong return on a $15,089 median debt.
Texas State Technical College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value manufacturing engineering technology schools. Texas State Technical College is a large public school located in the city of Waco. In-state tuition and fees average $7,212, compared with $11,812 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for manufacturing engineering technology graduates is $12,667. Early-career manufacturing engineering technology graduates make about $59,277. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Tarleton State University earned it the #5 place for manufacturing engineering technology. Tarleton State University is a large public school located in the town of Stephenville. In-state tuition and fees average $8,302, compared with $18,142 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,750 to complete the manufacturing engineering technology program here. Manufacturing Engineering Technology graduates of Tarleton State University earn a median of $55,036 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Tarleton State University admits about 90% of applicants.
Texas A And M University College Station placed #6 among the best values for manufacturing engineering technology. Set in the city of College Station, Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,995, while out-of-state students pay about $40,124. Students borrow a median of $22,462 to complete the manufacturing engineering technology program here. Soon after graduation, manufacturing engineering technology degree recipients from Texas A And M University College Station generally make around $68,154. Set against $22,462 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 57% of applicants are accepted.
More Manufacturing Engineering Technology Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
