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2023 Best Value Colleges for Engineering-Related Fields (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

22 Ranked Colleges
1,345 Degrees Awarded
$10,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

Engineering-Related Fields is the 112th most popular major in the country with 6,736 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, engineering-related fields graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $77,404 and had an average of $26,200 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,345 engineering-related fields graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,498 and $28,325 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 22 colleges that offer a degree in engineering-related fields. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great engineering-related fields programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the engineering-related fields program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region engineering-related fields students whose families make $0-$30k.

1
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 33 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $245 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering-Related Fields at Northwestern

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

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 84 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering-related fields students whose families make $0-$30k list, Purdue has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $5,995 for great lakes region engineering-related fields students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.

Read more about Engineering-Related Fields at Purdue University - Main Campus

3
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Michigan State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering-related fields degrees to 149 students in 2020-2021.

Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $6,927 for great lakes region engineering-related fields students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 more about Engineering-Related Fields at Michigan State University

4

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #4 spot on the list. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering-related fields degrees to 55 students in 2020-2021.

IUPUI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend IUPUI is $7,026 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Engineering-Related Fields Report

5

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 62 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also took the #15 spot in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $4,858 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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%.

Full UIUC Engineering-Related Fields Report

6

Michigan Technological University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan Technological University is located in Houghton, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s engineering-related fields degrees to qualified students.

Michigan Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan Technological University is $5,520 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read full report on Engineering-Related Fields at Michigan Tech

7

Purdue University Northwest ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Purdue Northwest is a medium-sized public school situated in Hammond, Indiana. It awarded 54 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2020-2021.

Purdue Northwest did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue Northwest is $6,775 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Purdue Northwest Engineering-Related Fields Report

8

University of Wisconsin - Stout ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Menomonie, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering-related fields degrees to 49 students in 2020-2021.

UW - Stout did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $10,074 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - 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 full report on Engineering-Related Fields at University of Wisconsin - Stout

9

University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. This medium-sized school is located in Dearborn, Michigan, and it awarded 50 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2020-2021.

UM Dearborn also made our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend UM Dearborn is $9,113 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 full report on Engineering-Related Fields at UM Dearborn

10
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Detroit, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering-related fields degrees to 24 students in 2020-2021.

Wayne State also took the #9 spot in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wayne State University is $11,060 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Engineering-Related Fields at Wayne State

11
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 48 degrees to qualified ’s engineering-related fields students in 2020-2021.

Oakland also took the #21 spot in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,949 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oakland.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering-Related Fields at Oakland University

12
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Central Michigan is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering-related fields students whose families make $0-$30k list, Central Michigan has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan is $10,805 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read full report on Engineering-Related Fields at Central Michigan

13

Miami University - Oxford ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Oxford, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 17 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering-related fields students in 2020-2021.

Miami University - Oxford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Miami University - Oxford is $13,956 for great lakes region engineering-related fields students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read full report on Engineering-Related Fields at Miami University - Oxford

14

With a ranking of #14, Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Bowling Green, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 100 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering-related fields students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at BGSU, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,079 for great lakes region engineering-related fields students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend BGSU.

Read more about Engineering-Related Fields at BGSU

15
Indiana State crest
Indiana State University
Terre Haute, Indiana

Indiana State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Terre Haute, Indiana, this medium-sized public school handed out 15 degrees to qualified ’s engineering-related fields students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Indiana State, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Indiana State is $10,104 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Engineering-Related Fields at Indiana State

16

Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Illinois Institute of Technology is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 58 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $18,515 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois Tech.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on Engineering-Related Fields at Illinois Tech

17
Eastern Michigan crest
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Eastern Michigan University is a fairly large school located in Ypsilanti, Michigan that handed out 52 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2020-2021.

Eastern Michigan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $12,465 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Eastern Michigan University.

Full Eastern Michigan Engineering-Related Fields Report

18
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

With a ranking of #18, Western Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Western Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It awarded 22 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2020-2021.

WMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend WMU is $13,112 for great lakes region engineering-related fields students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full WMU Engineering-Related Fields Report

19

Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Athens, Ohio, this large public school handed out 129 degrees to qualified ’s engineering-related fields students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at OHIO Athens, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,614 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus.

Read more about Engineering-Related Fields at OHIO Athens

20

Northern Illinois University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s engineering-related fields degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $10,395 for great lakes region engineering-related fields students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NIU.

Read full report on Engineering-Related Fields at NIU

21

University of Dayton did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Dayton, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s engineering-related fields degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.

UDayton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Dayton is $19,334 for great lakes region engineering-related fields students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Engineering-Related Fields at UDayton

22

Case Western Reserve University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 17 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2020-2021.

Case Western also took the #20 spot in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,063 for great lakes region engineering-related fields students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Case Western.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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-Related Fields at Case Western Reserve University

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