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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

25 Ranked Colleges
1,876 Degrees Awarded
$13,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Chemical Engineering is the 53rd most popular major in the country with 13,314 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 2,335 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,876 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 25 colleges that offered a degree in chemical engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great chemical engineering programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the chemical engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The chem eng school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 42 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $1,866 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern University.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Northwestern Chemical Engineering Report

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 113 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $3,166 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 113 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also took the #4 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $4,367 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at UW - Madison

#6 in overall quality

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s 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 #4 spot on the list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 143 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,477 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIUC.

The school has an impressive 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#5

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Purdue University - Main Campus is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 161 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

Purdue also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $5,483 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Purdue Chemical Engineering Report

#6

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#1 in overall quality

University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. University of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 84 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Notre Dame is $12,498 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low 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 Chemical Engineering at Notre Dame

#11 in overall quality

Michigan Technological University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Michigan Technological University is a medium-sized school located in Houghton, Michigan that handed out 90 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan Tech, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan Tech is $8,295 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Michigan Technological University

#10 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 183 students in 2019-2020.

Ohio State also took the #10 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $8,194 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Ohio State

#9

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#12 in overall quality

Michigan State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan State is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 123 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $6,686 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Michigan State

#17 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 63 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $10,648 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at UIC

#9 in overall quality

Case Western Reserve University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Case Western Reserve University is a fairly large school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 46 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Case Western, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Case Western Reserve University is $18,708 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, 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%.

Full Case Western Reserve University Chemical Engineering Report

#12

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan
#21 in overall quality

Wayne State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wayne State is a public institution located in Detroit, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, Wayne State has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wayne State University is $11,413 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Wayne State

#13

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio
#24 in overall quality

Youngstown State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Youngstown State University is a public institution located in Youngstown, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, Youngstown State University has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $9,069 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Youngstown State University

#14 in overall quality

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 106 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

UC also took the #14 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC is $15,078 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Full UC Chemical Engineering Report

#15

University of Toledo

Toledo, Ohio
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, University of Toledo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Toledo is located in Toledo, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 62 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

University of Toledo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Toledo is $14,516 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of Toledo

#16 in overall quality

Miami University - Oxford landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large school located in Oxford, Ohio that handed out 38 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Miami University - Oxford, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,759 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Miami University - Oxford.

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

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Miami University - Oxford

#17

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan
#19 in overall quality

Western Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Kalamazoo, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 66 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WMU, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,021 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WMU.

Full WMU Chemical Engineering Report

#22 in overall quality

University of Akron Main Campus ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Akron, Ohio, and it awarded 81 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, University of Akron Main Campus has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $14,816 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at University of Akron Main Campus

#19

University of Dayton

Dayton, Ohio
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, University of Dayton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UDayton is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dayton, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UDayton, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UDayton is $24,237 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, 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.

Full University of Dayton Chemical Engineering Report

#15 in overall quality

Illinois Institute of Technology ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois Institute of Technology is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 42 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois Tech, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Institute of Technology is $17,222 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a 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 students. The 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 Chemical Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology

#21

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, Ohio
#25 in overall quality

Cleveland State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cleveland State University is located in Cleveland, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 50 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

Cleveland State University also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for Cleveland State University is $14,213 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Cleveland State University

#22

Trine University

Angola, Indiana
#20 in overall quality

Trine University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Angola, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.

Trine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Trine is $19,700 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Trine Chemical Engineering Report

#23

Kettering University

Flint, Michigan
#8 in overall quality

Kettering University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Kettering University is a small school located in Flint, Michigan that handed out 27 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Kettering, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Kettering is $29,024 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Kettering Chemical Engineering Report

#23 in overall quality

Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ohio University - Athens Campus is a public institution located in Athens, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

OHIO Athens also took the #23 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus is $17,584 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full OHIO Athens Chemical Engineering Report

#5 in overall quality

Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution located in Terre Haute, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $34,275 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology.

The impressive 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. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Mikulova.

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