4004 N Webb Rd., Wichita, KS · Public, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 157 machining and CNC
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $7,395
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $49,220 undergraduate certificate
Machining and CNC Schools
Machinists and CNC operators make precision parts on lathes, mills and computer-controlled machines. Programs teach blueprint reading, measurement, setup, G-code programming and CAD/CAM.
365schools with grads
5,710awards 2023-24
$9,073median program tuition
9 momedian length
$58,750BLS median pay
By state
- Alabama2 schools
- Arizona2 schools
- Arkansas10 schools
- California32 schools
- Colorado6 schools
- Connecticut2 schools
- Florida5 schools
- Georgia14 schools
- Idaho6 schools
- Illinois14 schools
- Indiana3 schools
- Iowa8 schools
- Kansas7 schools
- Louisiana5 schools
- Maine3 schools
- Maryland1 school: Community College of Baltimore County
- Massachusetts5 schools
- Michigan17 schools
- Minnesota14 schools
- Mississippi12 schools
- Missouri7 schools
- Montana4 schools
- Nebraska3 schools
- Nevada3 schools
- New Hampshire2 schools
- New Jersey2 schools
- New Mexico2 schools
- New York7 schools
- North Carolina26 schools
- North Dakota1 school: North Dakota State College of Science
- Ohio13 schools
- Oklahoma13 schools
- Oregon5 schools
- Pennsylvania13 schools
- Puerto Rico1 school: Academia Serrant Inc
- Rhode Island1 school: Community College of Rhode Island
- South Carolina13 schools
- South Dakota3 schools
- Tennessee24 schools
- Texas14 schools
- Utah8 schools
- Washington13 schools
- West Virginia2 schools
- Wisconsin14 schools
- Wyoming3 schools
Largest machining and CNC programs by graduates
511 S Elliott St, Pryor, OK · Public, under 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 151 machining and CNC
- Largest program 2025-26
- $3,318
- Median pay 10 yrs, all
- $42,455
185 Main Street, New Britain, CT · Public, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 111 machining and CNC
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $5,338
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $47,444 undergraduate certificate
1100 North Avenue, Grand Junction, CO · Public, 4-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 100 machining and CNC
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $10,257
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $51,512 undergraduate certificate
3520 30th Ave, Kenosha, WI · Public, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 97 machining and CNC
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $5,108
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $48,793 undergraduate certificate
7500 S Pulaski Rd, Chicago, IL · Public, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 90 machining and CNC
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $4,710
- Median pay 10 yrs, all
- $42,018
13300 W Sixth Ave, Lakewood, CO · Public, 4-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 83 machining and CNC
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $5,016
- Median pay 10 yrs, all
- $50,999
12131 Telegraph Road, Santa Fe Springs, CA · Private nonprofit, under 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 81 machining and CNC
- Program tuition 2023-24
- $12,600 9 mo
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $47,009 undergraduate certificate
1355 Highway 10 West, Anoka, MN · Public, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 79 machining and CNC
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $6,354
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $57,915 undergraduate certificate
2011 S. Washington, Amarillo, TX · Public, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 76 machining and CNC
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $2,136
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $34,977 undergraduate certificate
9000 Brooklyn Blvd, Brooklyn Park, MN · Public, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 70 machining and CNC
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $7,069
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $64,415 undergraduate certificate
7900 U.S. Hwy 76, Pendleton, SC · Public, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 65 machining and CNC
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $4,599
- Median pay 10 yrs, all
- $46,048
3134 West Hwy 34, Grand Island, NE · Public, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 60 machining and CNC
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $3,450
- Median pay 10 yrs, all
- $44,200
4300 N Narragansett, Chicago, IL · Public, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 58 machining and CNC
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $4,710
- Median pay 10 yrs, all
- $47,007
3801 Campus Drive, Waco, TX · Public, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 58 machining and CNC
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $8,544
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $45,978 undergraduate certificate
Becoming a machinist: licenses and credentials
- Machining has no government license. Industry credentials come from NIMS, and employers mostly hire on skills tests.
- Tool and die and machinist apprenticeships pay while you learn. Find an apprenticeship.
BLS puts the median annual wage for machinists nationally at $58,750 (middle 80% from $39,200 to $80,010), May 2025. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Questions, answered from the data
How many machining and cnc schools are there?
365 schools reported machining and CNC graduates to the Department of Education for 2023-24, 5,710 awards in all (4,735 undergraduate certificates, 975 associate degrees).
How long is machining and CNC school?
Among the 11 machining and CNC programs that reported a length to IPEDS for 2023-24, the median took 9 months to finish. Community college associate degrees usually take two years full time.
How much does machining and CNC school cost?
At schools that price by program, the median published tuition and fees for a whole machining and CNC program was $9,073 in 2023-24 (17 programs reporting, from $975 to $24,059); public two-year colleges teaching it charge a median $4,362 a year in-state (2025-26). Grants and aid lower what most students pay.
How much does a machinist make?
The BLS median annual wage for machinists was $58,750 in May 2025; the lowest-paid 10% earned under $39,200 and the top 10% over $80,010.
What do machining and CNC graduates earn right after school?
Across 126 schools with College Scorecard data, the median of their graduates' median earnings one year after a certificate was $44,518. Scorecard reports this for the broader program family and only for federally aided graduates.
Sources: IPEDS Completions 2023-24 (C2024_A) and Directory (HD2024), NCES; College Scorecard institution data (2025-26 charges, released Nov 2, 2026) and field-of-study data (Oct 15, 2026); FMCSA Training Provider Registry (as of 2026-11-02); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked 2026-11-02. How we build this list.