CNC machinist training in Michigan

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

21 schools offer these machinist programs, and Michigan 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 Michigan, 20 of the 34 programs take students without a high school diploma, 11 ask for a diploma or equivalent and 3 ask for earlier courses first.

By kind, the 34 programs here are machinist certificate or diploma (20 programs), machinist (associate degree, 6 programs), machinist apprenticeship (4 programs), CNC or machine operator (3 programs), and 1 more of one other kind.

See the 34 programs

How much does CNC machinist training cost in Michigan?

Certificates and short courses (28 programs): $4,085 to $7,598most of them, usually 17 to 47 weeks long
Two-year degrees (6 programs): $11,738 to $16,944most of them, usually 63 to 100 weeks long

What you pay yourself for the whole program, as the schools report it. "Most" is the middle half of the programs with a price.

In the typical program

Finished the program: 57%
Working 6 months later: 92%
Earned a year, estimated: about $56,800
Length: 24 to 59 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 Michigan may also offer CNC machinist training. How these figures are made

Is there free CNC machinist training in Michigan?

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. Certificates and short courses here mostly cost $4,085 to $7,598.Two-year degrees here mostly cost $11,738 to $16,944.
Or earn while you learn. Apprentices are paid for their work on the job.⁶ 4 of the 34 programs here are apprenticeships.

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

How to pay for CNC machinist training in Michigan

WIOA funding can pay for CNC machinist training in Michigan

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

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.

Quick facts: CNC machinist training in Michigan

programs with a price cost under $5,000: 11 of 34
lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare: 28th of 34
other states where the typical program's graduates earned less: 15 of 15
CNC machinist programs here, against the typical state's 12: 34 vs 12

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 Michigan

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. This page lists 4 machinist apprenticeships approved for WIOA funding in Michigan. Ask what you'll pay for the classes and what you'll earn on the job.

Show only the 4 machinist apprenticeships

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

CNC machinist training in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Muskegon and other Michigan cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above. 11 more programs are in 9 other areas, 2 in smaller cities and towns.

Other training in Michigan

How CNC machinist training compares with the rest of skilled trades: Trade school programs in Michigan

Where the Michigan machinist program numbers come from

Which Michigan machinist programs are on this list?

These are the machinist programs Michigan 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 Michigan offers.

How the prices and results of Michigan machinist programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about CNC machinist training in Michigan

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CNC machinist training in Michigan

How much does CNC machinist training cost in Michigan?

Is there free CNC machinist training in Michigan?

All 34 CNC machinist programs in Michigan approved for WIOA funding

Machine Tool Technology - Numerical Control Technology

Tooling and Manufacturing Technology AAAS 908

Machine Tool Technology (Associate)

Machining Basics & CNC

Industrial Machining Technology (151)

MachiningTechnology AAS

Machine Tool Technology - Numerical Control Technology Certificate

Machining Technology Certificate

CNC Operator

CAD/CNC Certificate

Engineering Technology - Precision Machining

CAD/CNC - Associate in Applied Science

Machinist/CNC Technician

CNC Certificate

Industrial Machining Technology (252)

Machining Technology

Basic CNC Machining

CNC Entry Level Operator/Programmer

CNC Machinist and Operator Training

CNC Machinist Technology

Advanced Manufacturing (CNC) - Operation Technician

Advanced Manufacturing (CNC) - Programming and Setup Technician

Tooling and Manufacturing Certificate-920

CNC Machining

Machine Tool Technology Basic

CNC Machinist

Machine Tool Technology (1470)

Skilled Trades-Machinist Certificate - 1343

Precision Machine Technologies

CNC - Machinist

Marquette-Alger Technical Middle College CNC Technician Certification

Machine Tool Technology

Prototype Technician