CNC machinist training in Arkansas

6 CNC machinist programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

4 schools offer these machinist programs, and Arkansas has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Machinists set up and run equipment, including computer-controlled (CNC) machines, to make precision metal parts and tools. Community colleges and technical schools offer certificates and two-year degrees that teach reading engineering drawings and programming CNC machines.¹ In Arkansas, every program asks for a diploma or other schooling first, and 1 is taught partly or fully online.

See the 6 programs

How much does CNC machinist training cost in Arkansas?

$4,058 to $5,430 is what most CNC machinist programs in Arkansas cost if you pay yourself

That is the middle half of the 6 programs with a price. All of them: $2,750 to $6,892

In the typical program

Finished the program: Too few programs to say
Working 6 months later: Too few programs to say
Earned a year, estimated: Too few programs to say
Length: 16 to 32 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Arkansas may also offer CNC machinist training. How these figures are made

Is there free CNC machinist training in Arkansas?

Yes, if you qualify. WIOA (public workforce funding) can pay for any program on this page, in full or in part, depending on local limits.²³⁴
Ask an American Job Center whether you qualify, or call 1-877-872-5627.⁵ Before funding training, the center goes through an assessment and a career plan with you.⁴
Or pay yourself. Most machinist programs in Arkansas cost $4,058 to $5,430. Prices on this page run from $2,750 to $6,892.

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: paid apprenticeships, financial aid and the GI Bill

CNC machinist training in Paragould, Harrison, Jonesboro and other Arkansas cities

Choosing an area filters the list below. 2 in smaller cities and towns.

All 6 CNC machinist programs in Arkansas approved for WIOA funding

6 programs

Machinist certificate or diplomaHybridHigh school diploma or equivalent
Manufacturing Technology (Technical Certificate)
North Arkansas College - Nac (North Campus And South Campus)
Harrison
High school diploma or equivalent
North Arkansas College - Nac (North Campus And South Campus), Harrison · Machinist certificate or diploma · Hybrid · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimated$59,300
Price if you pay yourself$6,892
Program website, Manufacturing Technology (Technical Certificate) at North Arkansas College - Nac (North Campus And South Campus)
More details about Manufacturing Technology (Technical Certificate) at North Arkansas College - Nac (North Campus And South Campus)
Finished
55%
Working at 6 months
24%
Earned in a quarter
$14,819
Length
Not reported
Cost of supplies
$907
Students counted
21
a year, estimated
$59,300
price
$6,892
Machinist certificate or diplomaIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Machinist CP
BLACK River Technical College (BRTC)
Paragould
High school diploma or equivalent
BLACK River Technical College (BRTC), Paragould · Machinist certificate or diploma · In person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimated$35,000
Price if you pay yourself$4,058
Program website, Machinist CP at BLACK River Technical College (BRTC)
More details about Machinist CP at BLACK River Technical College (BRTC)
Finished
72%
Working at 6 months
81%
Earned in a quarter
$8,750
Length
16 weeks, 18 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$800
Students counted
10
a year, estimated
$35,000
price
$4,058
Machinist certificate or diplomaIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Machinist CP
BLACK River Technical College (BRTC)
Pocahontas
High school diploma or equivalent
BLACK River Technical College (BRTC), Pocahontas · Machinist certificate or diploma · In person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimated$35,000
Price if you pay yourself$4,058
Program website, Machinist CP at BLACK River Technical College (BRTC)
More details about Machinist CP at BLACK River Technical College (BRTC)
Finished
72%
Working at 6 months
81%
Earned in a quarter
$8,750
Length
16 weeks, 18 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$800
Students counted
10
a year, estimated
$35,000
price
$4,058
CNC or machine operatorIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Computer Numeric Control (CNC) Operator
Arkansas State University (Asu) - Newport (Jonesboro 2 Yr)
Jonesboro
High school diploma or equivalent
Arkansas State University (Asu) - Newport (Jonesboro 2 Yr), Jonesboro · CNC or machine operator · In person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$2,750
School website, Computer Numeric Control (CNC) Operator at Arkansas State University (Asu) - Newport (Jonesboro 2 Yr)
More details about Computer Numeric Control (CNC) Operator at Arkansas State University (Asu) - Newport (Jonesboro 2 Yr)
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
16 weeks, 15 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$300
Students counted
Not reported
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
$2,750
Machinist certificate or diplomaIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Machine Tool Technology TC
BLACK River Technical College (BRTC)
Paragould
High school diploma or equivalent
BLACK River Technical College (BRTC), Paragould · Machinist certificate or diploma · In person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$5,430
School website, Machine Tool Technology TC at BLACK River Technical College (BRTC)
More details about Machine Tool Technology TC at BLACK River Technical College (BRTC)
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
32 weeks, 30 hours a week
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
Not reported
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
$5,430
Machinist certificate or diplomaIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Machine Tool Technology TC
BLACK River Technical College (BRTC)
Pocahontas
High school diploma or equivalent
BLACK River Technical College (BRTC), Pocahontas · Machinist certificate or diploma · In person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$5,430
School website, Machine Tool Technology TC at BLACK River Technical College (BRTC)
More details about Machine Tool Technology TC at BLACK River Technical College (BRTC)
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
32 weeks, 30 hours a week
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
Not reported
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
$5,430

How to pay for CNC machinist training in Arkansas

WIOA funding can pay for CNC machinist training in Arkansas

Every program on this page is approved for WIOA funding: public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. It can pay for training for eligible adults, people who lost their job and young people.²People on public assistance, with a low income or lacking basic skills come first, and veterans have priority.³Your state or local area may limit how much WIOA pays and for how long. If a program costs more, a Pell Grant, a scholarship or severance pay can cover the rest.⁴

Ask at an American Job Center

Eligibility rules apply, and services vary from state to state. Your local American Job Center can tell you whether you qualify. The Department of Labor's page links to the center finder, or call 1-877-US-2JOBS (1-877-872-5627).⁵

Paid machinist apprenticeships

An apprenticeship is a job: you're paid to learn, with a raise as your skills grow, and most include classroom teaching. You apply to the employer or the program sponsor. Ask what you'll pay for the classroom part and what you'll earn on the job.⁶

Financial aid and grants for CNC machinist training

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.⁷⁸

GI Bill for CNC machinist training

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.⁹

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Does WIOA pay for job training? Who qualifies and how to apply

Quick facts: CNC machinist training in Arkansas

programs with a price cost under $5,000: 3 of 6
lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare: 16th of 30
CNC machinist programs here, against the typical state's 8: 6 vs 8

State comparisons use the same figures as the CNC machinist training by state table: the middle program of each state, and only states with three or more schools for prices. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).

Machinist apprenticeships in Arkansas

A machinist apprenticeship is usually run by an employer. It combines paid training on the job with related classes and lasts several years.¹

You apply to the employer or the program sponsor, not through a school.⁶ The Department of Labor's Apprenticeship Finder lists openings by place and job. None of the CNC machinist programs on this page is an apprenticeship.

What is an apprenticeship, and can WIOA pay for one?

Where the Arkansas machinist program numbers come from

Which Arkansas machinist programs are on this list?

These are the machinist programs Arkansas approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).¹⁰ The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Arkansas offers.

How Arkansas machinist program prices are reported

The price is tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported it. "Trained with WIOA funding" on a program counts the people whose training there WIOA paid toward through a training account in program year 2024; the file never gives counts under 3, so a program without the line may still take WIOA students. It does not say how much of the price WIOA covered. Prices under $100 are treated as not reported, because the file holds many blanks entered as $0. Check the current price with the school.

What the graduate results of these programs measure

The figures at the top of this page are the middle program among those that report results: half did better, half did worse. Results describe students who left each program in recent years: the share who finished, the share working in the second quarter after leaving, and the middle earnings of those working in that quarter. States report earnings for that one quarter because they take them from the wage reports employers file every three months. The yearly figure here is that quarter times four, rounded to the nearest $100: an estimate, and an early one, since it is measured about half a year after training. The quarter as reported is under "More details" on each program. Results are withheld for small programs, and they describe past students, so they are no guarantee.

Why do some machinist programs say "Not reported"?

Where a school or the state left a field empty, or the Department of Labor withheld it, the page says "Not reported". Nothing here is estimated to fill a gap.

Why the kind of school is left off each program

The file also records whether a school is public, private or nonprofit, but those entries are wrong too often to print next to a school's name, so this page leaves them out.

Other training in Arkansas

Sources for the facts about CNC machinist training in Arkansas

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