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# Top Industrial Technology/Technician Programs in the South

Updated September 30, 2026

Regional list from [Top Industrial Technology/Technician Programs by Earnings](/rankings/best-industrial-technologytechnician-programs/)

This page ranks the 16 Industrial Technology/Technician programs in the South by the median earnings of Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing. [University of Southern Mississippi](/school/university-of-southern-mississippi/majors/) ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $89,904 for its graduates four years after completing.

Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $89,904 to $51,417, with a median of $78,272.

All 16 programs are at 16 public institutions. [Northern Kentucky University](/school/northern-kentucky-university/majors/) posts the lowest average net price on the list, at $8,191. Kennesaw State University ranks 24th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

## The ranked list

16 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | University of Southern Mississippi · Hattiesburg, MS | $89,904 | $21,708 | $19,867 | 99.1% |
|  | [University of Southern Mississippi](/school/university-of-southern-mississippi/majors/) ranks 1st on this list with [median earnings of $89,904](/school/university-of-southern-mississippi/outcomes/) for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 99%. |
| 2 | Texas A&M University-College Station · College Station, TX | $89,629 | $21,315 | $12,784 | 57.4% |
|  | Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a [median of $17,804](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/outcomes/) in federal loans at [Texas A&M University-College Station](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/majors/), which reports $89,629 in median earnings for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing. |
| 3 | Northern Kentucky University · Highland Heights, KY | $88,492 | $8,191 | $2,603 | 67.7% |
|  | [Northern Kentucky University](/school/northern-kentucky-university/majors/) posts an [average net price of $8,191](/school/northern-kentucky-university/cost/) and median earnings of $88,492 for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing, with 31 graduates in the earnings cohort. |
| 4 | Tarleton State University · Stephenville, TX | $87,678 | $20,783 | $15,574 | 89.6% |
|  | [Tarleton State University](/school/tarleton-state-university/majors/) [ranks 293rd on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/tarleton-state-university/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports $87,678 in median earnings for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing. |
| 5 | Lamar University · Beaumont, TX | $87,113 | $9,366 | $7,568 | 86.4% |
|  | With an [admission rate of 86%](/school/lamar-university/admissions/), [Lamar University](/school/lamar-university/majors/) reports median earnings of $87,113 for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing. |
| 6 | Western Kentucky University · Bowling Green, KY | $86,033 | $10,990 | $7,087 | 93.9% |
|  | [Western Kentucky University](/school/western-kentucky-university/majors/) reports an [average net price of $7,087](/school/western-kentucky-university/cost/) for families earning under $30,000 and median earnings of $86,033 for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing. |
| 7 | East Carolina University · Greenville, NC | $81,852 | $15,739 | $10,046 | 89.2% |
|  | [East Carolina University](/school/east-carolina-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $81,852](/school/east-carolina-university/outcomes/) for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing, with 201 graduates in the earnings cohort. |
| 8 | Mississippi State University · Mississippi State, MS | $79,068 | $17,595 | $14,332 | 77.6% |
|  | Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a [median of $22,142](/school/mississippi-state-university/outcomes/) in federal loans at [Mississippi State University](/school/mississippi-state-university/majors/), which reports $79,068 in median earnings for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing. |
| 9 | North Carolina A & T State University · Greensboro, NC | $77,476 | $10,846 | $8,223 | 49.9% |
|  | [North Carolina A & T State University](/school/north-carolina-a-t-state-university/majors/) [admits 50% of applicants](/school/north-carolina-a-t-state-university/admissions/) and reports median earnings of $77,476 for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing. |
| 10 | Southeastern Louisiana University · Hammond, LA | $76,401 | $13,154 | $10,507 | 99.3% |
|  | [Southeastern Louisiana University](/school/southeastern-louisiana-university/majors/) [ranks 438th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/southeastern-louisiana-university/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports $76,401 in median earnings for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing. |
| 11 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana · Natchitoches, LA | $74,209 | $13,606 | $11,693 | 92.5% |
|  | [Northwestern State University of Louisiana](/school/northwestern-state-university-of-louisiana/majors/) reports an [average net price of $11,693](/school/northwestern-state-university-of-louisiana/cost/) for families earning under $30,000 and median earnings of $74,209 for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing. |
| 12 | University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff · Pine Bluff, AR | $71,983 | $12,653 | $12,302 | 41.2% |
|  | University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff reports median earnings of $71,983 for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing, with an admission rate of 41%. |
| 13 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville · Kingsville, TX | $71,207 | $12,090 | $10,207 | 90.9% |
|  | [Texas A&M University-Kingsville](/school/texas-am-university-kingsville/majors/) reports [median earnings of $71,207](/school/texas-am-university-kingsville/outcomes/) for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing, with 29 graduates in the earnings cohort. |
| 14 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette · Lafayette, LA | $69,334 | $13,530 | $11,157 | 87.0% |
|  | [University of Louisiana at Lafayette](/school/university-of-louisiana-at-lafayette/majors/) [admits 87% of applicants](/school/university-of-louisiana-at-lafayette/admissions/) and its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates earn a median of $69,334 four years after completing. |
| 15 | Jackson State University · Jackson, MS | $52,107 | $23,836 | $22,869 | 93.2% |
|  | Graduates across all fields who borrowed at Jackson State University left with a median of $30,470 in federal loans, while its Industrial Technology/Technician completers earn a median of $52,107 four years after graduating. |
| 16 | Kennesaw State University · Kennesaw, GA | $51,417 | $15,048 | $12,235 | 69.2% |
|  | [Kennesaw State University](/school/kennesaw-state-university/majors/) [ranks 24th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/kennesaw-state-university/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $51,417 for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing. |

## How this list is ordered

Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the South appear. The median is drawn from federally aided completers of the Industrial Technology/Technician program who were working and not enrolled four years after completing. It does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The spread from University of Southern Mississippi to the bottom of the list is $38,487, with only $275 separating University of Southern Mississippi and Texas A&M University-College Station.

## Job market context in the South

Graduates of Industrial Technology/Technician programs in the South enter a labor market that links to occupations such as Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers, Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians, and Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians. The median annual wage across those occupations is $56,035, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $47,411. Projections for 2024 to 2034 show about 27,560 openings a year, or about 2,723 openings a year for every hundred graduates, with more projected openings than graduates. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 7.4% higher. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses the median earnings of graduates four years after completing, which is a different measure from the occupational wage figures shown here.

## Related rankings

-   [Top Industrial Technology/Technician Programs by Earnings](/rankings/best-industrial-technologytechnician-programs/)
-   [Best Colleges in the South](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-south/)
-   [Top Industrial Technology/Technician Programs in the Midwest](/rankings/best-industrial-technologytechnician-programs-in-the-midwest/)
-   [Industrial Technology/Technician Programs in the Northeast](/rankings/best-industrial-technologytechnician-programs-in-the-northeast/)
-   [Best Industrial Technology/Technician Programs in the West](/rankings/best-industrial-technologytechnician-programs-in-the-west/)
-   [Best Engineering Technology Colleges for Social Mobility in the South](/rankings/best-engineering-technology-colleges-for-social-mobility-in-the-south/)
-   Engineering Technology Colleges in the South