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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Engineering in the Plains States Region

106 Ranked Colleges
11,973 Degrees Awarded
$28,000 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region” ranking.

Engineering is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 7th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 198,468 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2019-2020, engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $68,653 and had an average of $23,855 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 11,973 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $66,381 and $24,851 respectively.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region” ranking analyzed 106 colleges that offered a degree in engineering. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their engineering program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region engineering students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Engineering in the Plains States Region

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region. SD Mines is a small school located in Rapid City, South Dakota that handed out 377 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

2

Out of the 106 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Missouri University of Science and Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Rolla, Missouri, this medium-sized public school awarded 1,478 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology

3

Out of the 106 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Iowa State is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,913 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Engineering at Iowa State University

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region. North Dakota State University is a fairly large school located in Fargo, North Dakota that handed out 450 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at North Dakota State University - Main Campus

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region list. UMN Duluth is a medium-sized public school situated in Duluth, Minnesota. It awarded 309 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 Engineering at University of Minnesota - Duluth

6
Itasca Community College crest
Itasca Community College
Grand Rapids, Minnesota

Itasca Community College ranked #6 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region list. Located in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, this small public school handed out 28 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Engineering at Itasca Community College

7
Dordt crest
Dordt University
Sioux Center, Iowa

Dordt University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 53 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Dordt University Engineering Report

8
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

With a ranking of #8, Washington University in St Louis did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region list. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 658 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Engineering at Washington University in St Louis

9
WSU crest
Wichita State University
Wichita, Kansas

Wichita State University ranked #9 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region list. WSU is a fairly large school located in Wichita, Kansas that handed out 471 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Engineering at Wichita State University

10

University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in Lincoln, Nebraska, and it awarded 670 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UNL Engineering Report

11
K -State crest
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region ranking. K -State is a large school located in Manhattan, Kansas that handed out 579 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, 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 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at K -State

12
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

With a ranking of #12, University of North Dakota did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region list. University of North Dakota is a fairly large public school situated in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It awarded 307 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of North Dakota Engineering Report

13

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 1,312 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UMN Twin Cities Engineering Report

14
Dunwoody College of Technology crest
Dunwoody College of Technology
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Dunwoody College of Technology landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Dunwoody College of Technology is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 32 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Engineering at Dunwoody College of Technology

15
South Dakota State crest
South Dakota State University
Brookings, South Dakota

With a ranking of #15, South Dakota State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region list. South Dakota State is located in Brookings, South Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 179 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at South Dakota State

16
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region ranking. KU is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 498 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full KU Engineering Report

17
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Iowa is a large public school situated in Iowa City, Iowa. It awarded 577 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Engineering at Iowa

18
UST MN crest
University of St Thomas Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota

University of St Thomas Minnesota came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region ranking. UST MN is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 210 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Engineering at UST MN

19
SLU crest
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, Missouri

Saint Louis University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region ranking. SLU is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 206 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at Saint Louis University

20
Benedictine College crest
Benedictine College
Atchison, Kansas

Benedictine College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Atchison, Kansas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 30 students in 2020-2021.

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 more about Engineering at Benedictine College

21
United Tribes Technical College crest
United Tribes Technical College
Bismarck, North Dakota

United Tribes Technical College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Bismarck, North Dakota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full United Tribes Technical College Engineering Report

22

University of Missouri - Kansas City came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Missouri - Kansas City is a fairly large public school situated in Kansas City, Missouri. It awarded 205 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

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 full report on Engineering at University of Missouri - Kansas City

23

Ottawa University - Ottawa came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Ottawa, Kansas, and it awarded 6 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Engineering at Ottawa University - Ottawa

24

University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #24. Mizzou is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 511 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at Mizzou

25
St. Cloud State University crest
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #25. St. Cloud State University is a public institution located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 130 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 Engineering at St. Cloud State University

Switch to a More Focused Major

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Most Focused Colleges for Agricultural Engineering in the Plains States Region

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Most Focused Colleges for Biomedical Engineering in the Plains States Region

Chemical Engineering
Most Focused Colleges for Chemical Engineering in the Plains States Region

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Most Focused Colleges for Computer Engineering in the Plains States Region

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Most Focused Colleges for Engineering Mechanics in the Plains States Region

Engineering Science
Most Focused Colleges for Engineering Science in the Plains States Region

Materials Engineering
Most Focused Colleges for Materials Engineering in the Plains States Region

Metallurgical Engineering
Most Focused Colleges for Metallurgical Engineering in the Plains States Region

Nuclear Engineering
Most Focused Colleges for Nuclear Engineering in the Plains States Region

Systems Engineering
Most Focused Colleges for Systems Engineering in the Plains States Region

Industrial Engineering
Most Focused Colleges for Industrial Engineering in the Plains States Region

Operations Research
Most Focused Colleges for Operations Research in the Plains States Region

Electromechanical Engineering
Most Focused Colleges for Electromechanical Engineering in the Plains States Region

Biological Engineering
Most Focused Colleges for Biological Engineering in the Plains States Region

Energy Systems Engineering
Most Focused Colleges for Energy Systems Engineering in the Plains States Region

Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering
Most Focused Colleges for Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering in the Plains States Region

Architectural Engineering
Most Focused Colleges for Architectural Engineering in the Plains States Region

Ceramic Engineering
Most Focused Colleges for Ceramic Engineering in the Plains States Region

Civil Engineering
Most Focused Colleges for Civil Engineering in the Plains States Region

Electrical Engineering
Most Focused Colleges for Electrical Engineering in the Plains States Region

Engineering Physics
Most Focused Colleges for Engineering Physics in the Plains States Region

Environmental Engineering
Most Focused Colleges for Environmental Engineering in the Plains States Region

Mechanical Engineering
Most Focused Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in the Plains States Region

Mining Engineering
Most Focused Colleges for Mining Engineering in the Plains States Region

Petroleum Engineering
Most Focused Colleges for Petroleum Engineering in the Plains States Region

Construction Engineering
Most Focused Colleges for Construction Engineering in the Plains States Region

Manufacturing Engineering
Most Focused Colleges for Manufacturing Engineering in the Plains States Region

Geoscience Engineering
Most Focused Colleges for Geoscience Engineering in the Plains States Region

Robotics Engineering
Most Focused Colleges for Robotics Engineering in the Plains States Region

Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Most Focused Colleges for Electrical and Computer Engineering. in the Plains States Region

Other Engineering
Most Focused Colleges for Other Engineering in the Plains States Region

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Notes and References

References

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