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2023 Best Value Colleges for Engineering-Related Fields (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

22 Ranked Colleges
1,345 Degrees Awarded
$12,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 6,736 people earned their degree in engineering-related fields, making the major the 112th most popular in the United States. 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.

This year’s “Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 22 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in engineering-related fields. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality engineering-related fields programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the engineering-related fields program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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.

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

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 $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 33 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern also made our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $917 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. 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 more about Engineering-Related Fields at Northwestern University

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 $30-$48k list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school handed out 84 degrees to qualified ’s engineering-related fields students in 2020-2021.

Purdue also made our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,853 for great lakes region engineering-related fields students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Engineering-Related Fields at Purdue

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k 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 also took the #13 spot in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,216 for great lakes region engineering-related fields students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend IUPUI.

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%.

Read more about Engineering-Related Fields at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

4

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Michigan Technological University landed the #4 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Houghton, Michigan, and it awarded 17 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan Tech also took the #10 spot in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan Technological University is $8,983 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, 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 86%.

Read full report on Engineering-Related Fields at Michigan Technological University

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Stout. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. UW - Stout is a medium-sized public school situated in Menomonie, Wisconsin. It awarded 49 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Stout also took the #6 spot in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout is $10,958 for great lakes region engineering-related fields students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Stout Engineering-Related Fields Report

6

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 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 $30-$48k ranking. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 62 ’s engineering-related fields degrees to qualified students.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $8,036 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UIUC Engineering-Related Fields Report

7
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

With a ranking of #7, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 149 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan State also took the #3 spot in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $15,170 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read full report on Engineering-Related Fields at Michigan State

8

Purdue University Northwest ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Purdue University Northwest is a public institution located in Hammond, Indiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 54 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue Northwest, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University Northwest is $8,608 for great lakes region engineering-related fields students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Engineering-Related Fields at Purdue University Northwest

9

University of Michigan - Dearborn landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Dearborn, Michigan, this medium-sized public school awarded 50 degrees to qualified ’s engineering-related fields students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UM Dearborn, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Dearborn is $10,465 for great lakes region engineering-related fields students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full UM Dearborn Engineering-Related Fields Report

10
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Wayne State University is a large public school situated in Detroit, Michigan. It awarded 24 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2020-2021.

Wayne State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Wayne State University is $11,414 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Engineering-Related Fields at Wayne State University

11
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Oakland is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oakland, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,839 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oakland University.

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 ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Central Michigan University is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s engineering-related fields degrees to qualified students.

Central Michigan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan University is $12,346 for great lakes region engineering-related fields students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 more about Engineering-Related Fields at Central Michigan

13

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Bowling Green, Ohio that handed out 100 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2020-2021.

BGSU also made our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $14,822 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend BGSU.

Read full report on Engineering-Related Fields at BGSU

14
Eastern Michigan crest
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Eastern Michigan is a public institution located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 52 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Eastern Michigan, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Michigan University is $13,265 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Eastern Michigan Engineering-Related Fields Report

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 $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Terre Haute, Indiana, and it awarded 15 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2020-2021.

Indiana State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana State University is $10,911 for great lakes region engineering-related fields students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Indiana State University Engineering-Related Fields Report

16

Illinois Institute of Technology came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 58 degrees to qualified ’s engineering-related fields students 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 $21,101 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Illinois Institute of Technology.

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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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-Related Fields at Illinois Institute of Technology

17

Miami University - Oxford came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Miami University - Oxford is located in Oxford, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s engineering-related fields degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering-related fields students whose families make $30-$48k list, Miami University - Oxford has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Miami University - Oxford is $16,062 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, 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 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering-Related Fields at Miami University - Oxford

18
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend WMU is $15,552 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Engineering-Related Fields at Western Michigan University

19

Ohio University - Athens Campus came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Athens, Ohio, this large public school awarded 129 degrees to qualified ’s engineering-related fields students in 2020-2021.

OHIO Athens did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $18,991 for great lakes region engineering-related fields students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus.

Read more about Engineering-Related Fields at OHIO Athens

20

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 19 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering-related fields students whose families make $30-$48k list, NIU has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $11,499 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Northern Illinois University Engineering-Related Fields Report

21

University of Dayton came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Dayton is a fairly large school located in Dayton, Ohio that handed out 47 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2020-2021.

UDayton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Dayton is $20,992 for great lakes region engineering-related fields students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read full report on Engineering-Related Fields at University of Dayton

22

Case Western Reserve University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Case Western is located in Cleveland, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s engineering-related fields degrees to qualified students.

Case Western not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Case Western Reserve University is $15,570 for great lakes region engineering-related fields students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read full report on Engineering-Related Fields at Case Western

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