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CNC & machining programs in Minnesota
Minnesota has 14 accredited campuses awarding machinist credentials. If you finish and work as a machinist in Minnesota, expect to start around $46,550–$50,320 and reach a median of $61,140 with experience; the top quarter earn $74,650 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025, Minnesota). Graduates of these Minnesota programs — every graduate, whatever job they took — earned a median of $43,760 in their first year, against $36,340 nationally; that is the figure used to rank campuses below.
What machinists earn in Minnesota
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; 12,500 employed in Minnesota. National median: $58,750.
Campuses in Minnesota, ranked by what their graduates earned
Cities: AlexandriaAnokaAustinBrainerdBrooklyn ParkDuluthMinneapolisNorth MankatoPine CitySaint CloudSaint PaulWillmarWinona
| Campus | City | Type | Grads / yr | Earnings, yr 1 | Program debt | Completion | Cost / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hennepin Technical College | Brooklyn Park | Public | 61 | $64,677 | not reported | 42% | not reported |
| Dunwoody College of Technology | Minneapolis | non-profit | 13 | $54,544 | $5,500 | not reported | not reported |
| Saint Paul College | Saint Paul | Public | 32 | $47,035 | $9,500 | 40% | not reported |
| St Cloud Technical and Community College | Saint Cloud | Public | 17 | $44,202 | $9,500 | 45% | not reported |
| Anoka Technical College | Anoka | Public | 84 | $43,787 | $7,145 | 67% | not reported |
| Central Lakes College-Brainerd | Brainerd | Public | 4 | $43,734 | $5,500 | 53% | not reported |
| Minneapolis Community and Technical College | Minneapolis | Public | 7 | $43,504 | not reported | 20% | not reported |
| Alexandria Technical & Community College | Alexandria | Public | 18 | $42,747 | $5,500 | 60% | not reported |
| Ridgewater College | Willmar | Public | 9 | $42,048 | $9,750 | 50% | not reported |
| Minnesota State College Southeast | Winona | Public | 14 | $39,524 | $9,500 | 48% | not reported |
| South Central College | North Mankato | Public | 52 | $38,922 | $3,332 | 39% | not reported |
| Lake Superior College | Duluth | Public | 8 | $35,452 | $11,000 | 42% | not reported |
| Pine Technical & Community College | Pine City | Public | 10 | not reported | not reported | 36% | not reported |
| Riverland Community College | Austin | Public | 9 | not reported | not reported | 52% | not reported |
Earnings are median wages and self-employment income reported to the IRS (W-2 and Schedule SE) for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled, measured in the calendar year after finishing. They are pay only: health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits are not included.
Ranked by median earnings of this program's graduates one year after completion (College Scorecard field-of-study, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026); campuses without a reported figure follow, by credentials awarded. "Program debt" is the median federal loan debt for graduates of this program at this campus. Completion is the campus-wide 150%-of-time rate. "Not reported" means the federal file suppresses the value for privacy.