by our College Data Analytics Team
[Engineering Technologies](/majors/engineering-technologies/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for engineering technologies students.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the engineering technologies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Mitchell Technical Institute tops our 2027 list of the best value engineering technologies schools in South Dakota. Set in the town of Mitchell, Mitchell Technical Institute is a small public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,524. Typical student debt for engineering technologies graduates is $13,067. Early-career engineering technologies graduates make about $54,983. Set against $13,067 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in engineering technologies will find it at Lake Area Technical Institute, which ranked #2. Lake Area Technical Institute is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Watertown. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,718. Engineering Technologies graduates carry a median of $13,103 in student loans. Soon after graduation, engineering technologies degree recipients from Lake Area Technical Institute generally make around $60,314. That is a strong return on a $13,103 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Southeast Technical Institute earned it the #3 place for engineering technologies. Located in the city of Sioux Falls, Southeast Technical Institute is a mid-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $7,650. Typical student debt for engineering technologies graduates is $18,442. Early-career engineering technologies graduates make about $48,654. Set against $18,442 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
South Dakota State University came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value engineering technologies schools. Located in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $9,299 in tuition and fees, compared with $12,809 for out-of-state students. Engineering Technologies graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Early-career engineering technologies graduates make about $77,949. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 98%.
A rank of #5 makes South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology one of the best values for engineering technologies. Set in the city of Rapid City, South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology is a mid-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,500, with out-of-state students paying around $14,900. Typical student debt for engineering technologies graduates is $26,668. Early-career engineering technologies graduates make about $91,138. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology admits about 80% of applicants.
This list is compiled 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.