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2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region

200 Ranked Colleges
32,891 Degrees Awarded
$32,800 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

With 198,468 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, engineering is the 7th most popular major in the United States. 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 Great Lakes region, there were 32,891 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $69,005 and $24,728 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 200 colleges that offered a degree in engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular engineering programs in the United States.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region engineering students.

1
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Out of the 200 schools in the Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. Purdue is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3,177 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 93%.

Read full report on Engineering at Purdue University - Main Campus

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 2,789 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 96%.

Read full report on Engineering at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 2,695 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 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 more about Engineering at UIUC

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 2,359 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 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 full report on Engineering at Ohio State University - Main Campus

5

Out of the 200 schools in the Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 1,573 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.

Full UW - Madison Engineering Report

6

With a ranking of #6, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this large public school awarded 1,148 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UC Engineering Report

7

Michigan Technological University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Michigan Tech is a medium-sized school located in Houghton, Michigan that handed out 1,047 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Michigan Technological University Engineering Report

8
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region list. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 965 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.

Full Michigan State Engineering Report

9

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 877 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 UIC

10
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 813 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Engineering at Northwestern University

11

With a ranking of #11, University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Michigan - Dearborn is located in Dearborn, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 651 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

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 University of Michigan - Dearborn

12

University of Toledo did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #12. University of Toledo is a fairly large school located in Toledo, Ohio that handed out 644 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Engineering at University of Toledo

13

Case Western Reserve University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Case Western Reserve University is a fairly large school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 615 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at Case Western Reserve University

14

Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. Illinois Tech is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 606 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Engineering at Illinois Tech

15

University of Akron Main Campus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Akron, Ohio, and it awarded 575 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Full University of Akron Main Campus Engineering Report

16

University of Wisconsin - Platteville came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW - Platteville is a medium-sized public school situated in Platteville, Wisconsin. It awarded 540 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

17
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. Oakland is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 535 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.

Full Oakland Engineering Report

18
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University ranked #18 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Wayne State University is a large school located in Detroit, Michigan that handed out 532 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Engineering at Wayne State University

19

University of Dayton landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UDayton is a fairly large school located in Dayton, Ohio that handed out 591 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at University of Dayton

20
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 492 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

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. 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 Notre Dame

21

With a ranking of #21, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region list. IUPUI is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 454 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full IUPUI Engineering Report

22

Milwaukee School of Engineering landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Milwaukee School of Engineering is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 432 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at MSOE

23

Cleveland State University ranked #23 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Cleveland State University is a fairly large school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 400 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Engineering at Cleveland State University

24

Wright State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #24. Wright State University - Main Campus is located in Dayton, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 394 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Full Wright State University - Main Campus Engineering Report

24
Kettering crest
Kettering University
Flint, Michigan

Kettering University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Flint, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 392 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. 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 Kettering University Engineering Report

Rest of the Best 31 in Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region

Not only did these schools make the top 31 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan
27
28
29
30
Marquette crest
Marquette University
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
31

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Notes and References

References

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