2027 Best Value Machine Shop Technology/Assistant Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Machine Shop Technology/Assistant](/majors/production-product-development/precision-metal-working/machine-shop-technology-assistant/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 17 schools to find the best return on investment for machine shop technology/assistant students.
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2027 Best Value Machine Shop Technology/Assistant Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in machine shop technology/assistant, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Machine Shop Technology/Assistant Schools
For return on investment in machine shop technology/assistant, no school beat Illinois Valley Community College this year. Illinois Valley Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Oglesby. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,200, while out-of-state students pay about $16,385. Students borrow a median of $8,099 to complete the machine shop technology/assistant program here. Machine Shop Technology/assistant graduates of Illinois Valley Community College earn a median of $33,224 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Delta College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in machine shop technology/assistant, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the rural area of University Center, Delta College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,820, with out-of-state students paying around $7,880. Machine Shop Technology/assistant graduates carry a median of $14,075 in student loans. Soon after graduation, machine shop technology/assistant degree recipients from Delta College generally make around $37,342. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in machine shop technology/assistant will find it at Ivy Tech Community College, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Indianapolis, Ivy Tech Community College is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,154, while out-of-state students pay about $9,935. Typical student debt for machine shop technology/assistant graduates is $6,599. Machine Shop Technology/assistant graduates of Ivy Tech Community College earn a median of $49,030 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Mchenry County College came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value machine shop technology/assistant schools. Mchenry County College is a large public school located in the rural area of Crystal Lake. Students from in state pay about $4,162 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $14,399. Typical student debt for machine shop technology/assistant graduates is $7,440. Early-career machine shop technology/assistant graduates make about $24,177. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in machine shop technology/assistant will find it at John Wood Community College, which ranked #5. Set in the town of Quincy, John Wood Community College is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,100 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $8,700. Students borrow a median of $13,844 to complete the machine shop technology/assistant program here. Soon after graduation, machine shop technology/assistant degree recipients from John Wood Community College generally make around $45,748. Set against $13,844 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Parkland College placed #6 among the best values for machine shop technology/assistant. Located in the city of Champaign, Parkland College is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,284, while out-of-state students pay about $13,266. Machine Shop Technology/assistant graduates carry a median of $10,168 in student loans. Machine Shop Technology/assistant graduates of Parkland College earn a median of $40,409 early in their careers. Set against $10,168 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Grand Rapids Community College placed #7 among the best values for machine shop technology/assistant. Set in the city of Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Community College is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,179 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $12,219. Typical student debt for machine shop technology/assistant graduates is $4,540. Machine Shop Technology/assistant graduates of Grand Rapids Community College earn a median of $42,066 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $4,540 median debt.
Milwaukee Area Technical College landed the #8 spot for machine shop technology/assistant value this year. Set in the city of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,184, with out-of-state students paying around $7,427. Students borrow a median of $9,500 to complete the machine shop technology/assistant program here. Early-career machine shop technology/assistant graduates make about $38,325. Set against $9,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Lakeshore Technical College earned the #9 position for value in machine shop technology/assistant this year. Lakeshore Technical College is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Cleveland. Students from in state pay about $4,844 in tuition and fees, compared with $7,087 for out-of-state students. Machine Shop Technology/assistant graduates carry a median of $11,582 in student loans. Soon after graduation, machine shop technology/assistant degree recipients from Lakeshore Technical College generally make around $41,252. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College placed #10 among the best values for machine shop technology/assistant. Northeast Wisconsin Technical College is a large public school located in the city of Green Bay. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,960, with out-of-state students paying around $7,203. Machine Shop Technology/assistant graduates carry a median of $5,500 in student loans. Early-career machine shop technology/assistant graduates make about $41,421. That is a strong return on a $5,500 median debt.
Southwestern Illinois College earned the #11 position for value in machine shop technology/assistant this year. Set in the suburb of Belleville, Southwestern Illinois College is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,230, compared with $6,720 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for machine shop technology/assistant graduates is $6,500. Soon after graduation, machine shop technology/assistant degree recipients from Southwestern Illinois College generally make around $31,692. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Waukesha County Technical College came in at #12 for value in machine shop technology/assistant this year. Waukesha County Technical College is a large public school located in the suburb of Pewaukee. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,803, compared with $7,046 for out-of-state students. Machine Shop Technology/assistant graduates carry a median of $9,500 in student loans. Machine Shop Technology/assistant graduates of Waukesha County Technical College earn a median of $43,380 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $9,500 median debt.
Fox Valley Technical College landed the #13 spot for machine shop technology/assistant value this year. Fox Valley Technical College is a large public school located in the suburb of Appleton. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,040, with out-of-state students paying around $7,283. Machine Shop Technology/assistant graduates carry a median of $7,664 in student loans. Machine Shop Technology/assistant graduates of Fox Valley Technical College earn a median of $52,978 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Chippewa Valley Technical College came in at #14 for value in machine shop technology/assistant this year. Set in the city of Eau Claire, Chippewa Valley Technical College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,844, compared with $7,087 for out-of-state students. Machine Shop Technology/assistant graduates carry a median of $8,109 in student loans. Soon after graduation, machine shop technology/assistant degree recipients from Chippewa Valley Technical College generally make around $45,531. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Auburn Career Center placed #15 among the best values for machine shop technology/assistant. Set in the suburb of Concord Twp, Auburn Career Center is a small public institution. Typical student debt for machine shop technology/assistant graduates is $10,807. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $37,032. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Illinois Central College landed the #16 spot for machine shop technology/assistant value this year. Located in the suburb of East Peoria, Illinois Central College is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,800, with out-of-state students paying around $12,150. Machine Shop Technology/assistant graduates carry a median of $12,222 in student loans. Early-career machine shop technology/assistant graduates make about $53,190. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Madison Area Technical College came in at #17 for value in machine shop technology/assistant this year. Located in the city of Madison, Madison Area Technical College is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $4,977 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $7,141. Typical student debt for machine shop technology/assistant graduates is $9,500. Machine Shop Technology/assistant graduates of Madison Area Technical College earn a median of $44,279 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
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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 · 17 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 17 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.
