College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region

64 Ranked Colleges
9,524 Degrees Awarded
$13,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 46,178 people earned their degree in mechanical engineering, making the major the 21st most popular in the United States. 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 Southeast region, there were 9,524 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $65,486 and $24,571 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking analyzed 64 colleges that offered a degree in mechanical engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent mechanical engineering programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the mechanical engineering program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Mechanical Engineering Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More ME Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region me students.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in the Southeast Region

1
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region. UF is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 597 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

UF also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend UF is $5,135 for Southeast Region ME students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Florida Mechanical Engineering Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Florida International University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region list. Florida International University is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 174 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

FIU also took the #22 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend FIU is $5,298 for Southeast Region ME students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at FIU

3

Out of the 64 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. USF Tampa is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 243 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region me students list, USF Tampa has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $8,346 for southeast region me students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of South Florida - Main Campus

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Central Florida. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region. Located in Orlando, Florida, this large public school awarded 503 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region me students list, UCF has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $8,618 for southeast region me students per year to attend University of Central Florida.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full University of Central Florida Mechanical Engineering Report

5
Mississippi State crest
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, Mississippi

Out of the 64 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Mississippi State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Mississippi State, Mississippi is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 216 students in 2020-2021.

Mississippi State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Mississippi State University is $16,122 for southeast region me students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full Mississippi State Mechanical Engineering Report

6
NC A&T crest
North Carolina A & T State University
Greensboro, North Carolina

North Carolina A & T State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, this fairly large public school awarded 106 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend North Carolina A & T State University is $10,563 for southeast region me students.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at NC A&T

7
GaSou crest
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, Georgia

Georgia Southern University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Georgia Southern University is a public institution located in Statesboro, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 200 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for GaSou is $15,571 for Southeast Region ME students.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at GaSou

8

Tennessee Technological University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Cookeville, Tennessee, and it awarded 165 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $15,932 for Southeast Region ME students per year to attend Tennessee Tech University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Tennessee Tech University Mechanical Engineering Report

9
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

With a ranking of #9, Florida State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region list. Florida State University is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 109 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Florida State also took the #18 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $9,946 for southeast region me students per year to attend Florida State.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Florida State

10

With a ranking of #10, University of North Carolina at Charlotte did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region list. University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a public institution located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 249 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Charlotte, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $17,634 for Southeast Region ME students per year to attend University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UNC Charlotte

11
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Virginia Tech is a large school located in Blacksburg, Virginia that handed out 466 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region me students list, Virginia Tech has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $21,301 for southeast region me students.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering Report

12

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #12. Georgia Tech is a public institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 794 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Georgia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Georgia Tech is $14,974 for Southeast Region ME students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech

13
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #13. NC State is a public institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 402 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NC State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $16,411 for southeast region me students per year to attend NC State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at NC State

14

With a ranking of #14, University of South Alabama did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in Mobile, Alabama, this fairly large public school handed out 68 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $16,826 for Southeast Region ME students per year to attend University of South Alabama.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of South Alabama

15
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

With a ranking of #15, Florida Atlantic University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region list. Florida Atlantic University is a large school located in Boca Raton, Florida that handed out 122 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend FAU is $10,735 for Southeast Region ME students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Florida Atlantic University

16
KSU Georgia crest
Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw, Georgia

With a ranking of #16, Kennesaw State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region list. This large school is located in Kennesaw, Georgia, and it awarded 237 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for KSU Georgia is $18,522 for Southeast Region ME students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Kennesaw State University Mechanical Engineering Report

17
WVU crest
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. WVU is a large school located in Morgantown, West Virginia that handed out 170 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

WVU also took the #25 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for West Virginia University is $13,355 for Southeast Region ME students.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at West Virginia University

18
Louisiana Tech crest
Louisiana Tech University
Ruston, Louisiana

Louisiana Tech University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #18. Louisiana Tech University is a fairly large school located in Ruston, Louisiana that handed out 73 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Louisiana Tech University is $11,304 for southeast region me students.

Full Louisiana Tech Mechanical Engineering Report

19
UofM crest
University of Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee

University of Memphis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, this large public school awarded 39 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UofM is $13,904 for Southeast Region ME students.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UofM

19

University of Alabama in Huntsville did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #19. UAH is a medium-sized public school situated in Huntsville, Alabama. It awarded 150 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $17,208 for Southeast Region ME students per year to attend University of Alabama in Huntsville.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UAH Mechanical Engineering Report

21
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #21. This fairly large school is located in Jacksonville, Florida, and it awarded 82 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,865 for southeast region me students per year to attend UNF.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 University of North Florida

22
ATU crest
Arkansas Tech University
Russellville, Arkansas

With a ranking of #22, Arkansas Tech University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in Russellville, Arkansas, this medium-sized public school handed out 67 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,721 for southeast region me students per year to attend ATU.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at ATU

23

University of Alabama at Birmingham came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. University of Alabama at Birmingham is a large public school situated in Birmingham, Alabama. It awarded 56 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UAB is $16,530 for Southeast Region ME students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UAB Mechanical Engineering Report

24
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas

With a ranking of #24, University of Arkansas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region list. This large school is located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and it awarded 142 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UARK is $16,507 for Southeast Region ME students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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 85%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Arkansas

25

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Baton Rouge, Louisiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 133 students in 2020-2021.

Louisiana State University also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College is $17,811 for southeast region me students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Louisiana State University

Switch to a Similar Major

General Engineering
Best Value Colleges for General Engineering in the Southeast Region

Agricultural Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Agricultural Engineering in the Southeast Region

Biomedical Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Biomedical Engineering in the Southeast Region

Civil Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Civil Engineering in the Southeast Region

Electrical Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Electrical Engineering in the Southeast Region

Engineering Physics
Best Value Colleges for Engineering Physics in the Southeast Region

Environmental Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Environmental Engineering in the Southeast Region

Metallurgical Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Metallurgical Engineering in the Southeast Region

Marine Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Marine Engineering in the Southeast Region

Ocean Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Ocean Engineering in the Southeast Region

Systems Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Systems Engineering in the Southeast Region

Polymer & Plastics Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Polymer & Plastics Engineering in the Southeast Region

Industrial Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Industrial Engineering in the Southeast Region

Operations Research
Best Value Colleges for Operations Research in the Southeast Region

Geoscience Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Geoscience Engineering in the Southeast Region

Biochemical Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Biochemical Engineering in the Southeast Region

Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Best Value Colleges for Electrical and Computer Engineering. in the Southeast Region

Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering in the Southeast Region

Architectural Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Architectural Engineering in the Southeast Region

Chemical Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Chemical Engineering in the Southeast Region

Computer Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Computer Engineering in the Southeast Region

Engineering Mechanics
Best Value Colleges for Engineering Mechanics in the Southeast Region

Engineering Science
Best Value Colleges for Engineering Science in the Southeast Region

Materials Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Materials Engineering in the Southeast Region

Mining Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Mining Engineering in the Southeast Region

Nuclear Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Nuclear Engineering in the Southeast Region

Petroleum Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Petroleum Engineering in the Southeast Region

Textile Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Textile Engineering in the Southeast Region

Construction Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Construction Engineering in the Southeast Region

Manufacturing Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Manufacturing Engineering in the Southeast Region

Surveying Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Surveying Engineering in the Southeast Region

Robotics Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Robotics Engineering in the Southeast Region

Biological Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Biological Engineering in the Southeast Region

Other Engineering
Best Value Colleges for Other Engineering in the Southeast Region

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options