2026 Best Value Automotive Engineering Technology/Technician Schools in the Far Western Region

[Automotive Engineering Technology/Technician](/majors/engineering-technologies/mechanical-engineering-technology/automotive-engineering-technology-technician/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong automotive engineering technology/technician education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value automotive engineering technology/technician schools.
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2026 Best Value Automotive Engineering Technology/Technician Schools in the Far Western Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in automotive engineering technology/technician, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Automotive Engineering Technology/Technician Schools
Great Basin College tops our 2026 list of the best value automotive engineering technology/technician schools in the Far Western Region. Located in the town of Elko, Great Basin College is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,923, while out-of-state students pay about $11,996. Automotive Engineering Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $17,128 in student loans. Soon after graduation, automotive engineering technology/technician degree recipients from Great Basin College generally make around $67,461. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Hacienda La Puente Adult Education earned it the #2 place for automotive engineering technology/technician. Set in the suburb of La Puente, Hacienda La Puente Adult Education is a small public institution. Soon after graduation, automotive engineering technology/technician degree recipients from Hacienda La Puente Adult Education generally make around $9,467. The acceptance rate is 100%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Art Center College Of Design earned it the #3 place for automotive engineering technology/technician. Art Center College Of Design is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Pasadena. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $54,170. Students borrow a median of $54,124 to complete the automotive engineering technology/technician program here. Early-career automotive engineering technology/technician graduates make about $59,384. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 74%.
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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 · 4 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.