2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region
64
Ranked Colleges
9,524
Degrees Awarded
$13,600
Avg Net Price*
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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