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2023 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

54 Ranked Colleges
7,978 Degrees Awarded
$16,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Mechanical Engineering is the 21st most popular major in the country with 46,178 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, mechanical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $69,007 and had an average of $23,944 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 7,978 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $71,318 and $24,852 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 54 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great mechanical engineering programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the mechanical engineering program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Mechanical Engineering Schools

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Akron Main Campus. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Akron, Ohio that handed out 215 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Akron Main Campus also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $17,945 for great lakes region me students per year to attend University of Akron Main Campus.

Full University of Akron Main Campus Mechanical Engineering Report

2
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 582 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,377 for great lakes region me students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Purdue Mechanical Engineering Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is a medium-sized public school situated in Platteville, Wisconsin. It awarded 198 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Platteville is $14,565 for Great Lakes Region ME students.

Full UW - Platteville Mechanical Engineering Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Stout is located in Menomonie, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 71 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $15,589 for Great Lakes Region ME students per year to attend UW - Stout.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UW - Stout

5
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Michigan University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Kalamazoo, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 103 students in 2020-2021.

WMU also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend Western Michigan University is $20,371 for great lakes region me students.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Western Michigan University

6

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 72 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,462 for great lakes region me students.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at SIUE

7

With a ranking of #7, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Northern Illinois University is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 135 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $13,956 for great lakes region me students.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Northern Illinois University

8

Purdue University Northwest came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Purdue University Northwest is a public institution located in Hammond, Indiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 66 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Purdue Northwest is $11,384 for great lakes region me students.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University Northwest

9

Youngstown State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Youngstown, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 72 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $12,225 for great lakes region me students.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Youngstown State University

10
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

With a ranking of #10, Oakland University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and it awarded 222 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region me students list, Oakland has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oakland University is $13,449 for Great Lakes Region ME students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Oakland University

11
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

With a ranking of #11, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Central Michigan is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 65 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $16,007 for great lakes region me students per year to attend Central Michigan University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Central Michigan University

12

University of Michigan - Dearborn landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UM Dearborn is a medium-sized school located in Dearborn, Michigan that handed out 183 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region me students list, UM Dearborn has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,855 for great lakes region me students per year to attend UM Dearborn.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Michigan - Dearborn

13

With a ranking of #13, Grand Valley State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Grand Valley State University is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 70 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $17,356 for great lakes region me students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Grand Valley State University

14

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UC is a public institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 331 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC also took the #15 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC is $22,415 for Great Lakes Region ME students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UC Mechanical Engineering Report

15

University of Toledo came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Toledo is a public institution located in Toledo, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 193 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Toledo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Toledo is $17,312 for great lakes region me students.

Full University of Toledo Mechanical Engineering Report

16

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. SIUC is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 61 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $16,285 for great lakes region me students per year to attend SIUC.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

17

Michigan Technological University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Houghton, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 429 students in 2020-2021.

Michigan Tech also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Michigan Technological University is $15,384 for Great Lakes Region ME students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Tech

18

With a ranking of #18, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 268 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,234 for great lakes region me students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Mechanical Engineering Report

19

Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #19. Ohio University - Athens Campus is a public institution located in Athens, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 84 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus is $23,831 for Great Lakes Region ME students.

Full Ohio University - Athens Campus Mechanical Engineering Report

20

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UWM is a large school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 96 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UWM is $17,486 for Great Lakes Region ME students.

Full University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Mechanical Engineering Report

21

With a ranking of #21, Wright State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Dayton, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 120 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Wright State University - Main Campus is $15,962 for great lakes region me students.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Wright State University - Main Campus

22

Cleveland State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 139 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cleveland State University is $16,943 for great lakes region me students.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Cleveland State University

23
Lake Superior State University crest
Lake Superior State University
Sault Ste Marie, Michigan

With a ranking of #23, Lake Superior State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Lake Superior State University is a public institution located in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Lake Superior State University is $13,668 for Great Lakes Region ME students.

Full Lake Superior State University Mechanical Engineering Report

24

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 300 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $14,321 for Great Lakes Region ME students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

25

Lawrence Technological University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Southfield, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s ME degrees to 103 students in 2020-2021.

Lawrence Tech also took the #20 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lawrence Technological University is $33,391 for Great Lakes Region ME students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Lawrence Tech

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