2022 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering Technology (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value ME Tech Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 6,707 people earned their degree in mechanical engineering technology, making the major the 126th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, mechanical engineering technology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $52,659 and had an average of $22,928 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southwest region, there were 384 mechanical engineering technology graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,888 and $22,941 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 48 mechanical engineering technology graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,605 and $16,886 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value ME Tech Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 4 colleges that offered a degree in mechanical engineering technology. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality mechanical engineering technology programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the mechanical engineering technology program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Mechanical Engineering Technology Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value ME Tech Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value ME Tech Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value ME Tech Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 4 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering Technology (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region

#1

Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology

Okmulgee, Oklahoma

#1 in overall quality

$4,299 Average Net Price

$43,884 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value ME Tech Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k. OSU Institute of Technology is located in Okmulgee, Oklahoma and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 associates’s ME tech degrees to qualified students.

OSU Institute of Technology also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for OSU Institute of Technology is $4,299 for Southwest Region Associate Degree ME Tech students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering Technology at Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology

#2

Oklahoma City Community College

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

#3 in overall quality

$5,981 Average Net Price

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value ME Tech Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Oklahoma City Community College landed the #2 spot on the list. OCCC is a fairly large public school situated in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It awarded 11 associates’s ME tech degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region associate degree me tech students whose families make $30-$48k list, OCCC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for OCCC is $5,981 for Southwest Region Associate Degree ME Tech students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering Technology at OCCC

#3

Tulsa Community College

Tulsa, Oklahoma

#2 in overall quality

$5,092 Average Net Price

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Tulsa Community College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value ME Tech Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Tulsa Community College is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 associates’s ME tech degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southwest region associate degree me tech students whose families make $30-$48k list, Tulsa Community College has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $5,092 for Southwest Region Associate Degree ME Tech students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Tulsa Community College.

Full Tulsa Community College Mechanical Engineering Technology Report

#4

New Mexico State University - Dona Ana

Las Cruces, New Mexico

#4 in overall quality

$5,658 Average Net Price

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend New Mexico State University - Dona Ana. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value ME Tech Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, this medium-sized public school handed out 4 degrees to qualified associates’s ME tech students in 2019-2020.

NMSU Dona Ana also took the #4 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $5,658 for southwest region associate degree me tech students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NMSU Dona Ana.

Full NMSU Dona Ana Mechanical Engineering Technology Report

• Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering Technology (Income $30-$48k)

Notes and References

References

• 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).
• Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

• *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
• Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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