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2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region

25 Ranked Colleges
2,206 Degrees Awarded
$21,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Chemical Engineering is the 64th most popular major in the country with 12,690 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 2,206 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 25 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in chemical engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality chemical engineering programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

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

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region

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

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Chemical Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

1

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Akron Main Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Akron, Ohio, and it awarded 104 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Akron Main Campus, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $17,945 for Great Lakes Region Chem Eng students.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of Akron Main Campus

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

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 237 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region chem eng students list, Purdue has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,377 for Great Lakes Region Chem Eng students per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.

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

Full Purdue University - Main Campus Chemical Engineering Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Youngstown State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region. Youngstown State University is a fairly large school located in Youngstown, Ohio that handed out 43 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Youngstown State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $12,225 for great lakes region chem eng students.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Youngstown State University

4
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Michigan University landed the #4 spot on the list. WMU is a fairly large school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan that handed out 56 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

WMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Western Michigan University is $20,371 for Great Lakes Region Chem Eng students.

Full WMU Chemical Engineering Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UC is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 121 ’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

UC also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $22,415 for great lakes region chem eng students.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%.

Full UC Chemical Engineering Report

6

Ohio University - Athens Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Athens, Ohio, this large public school handed out 29 diplomas to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.

OHIO Athens also took the #20 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus is $23,831 for great lakes region chem eng students.

Full OHIO Athens Chemical Engineering Report

7

University of Toledo ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Toledo, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s chem eng degrees to 69 students in 2020-2021.

University of Toledo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Toledo is $17,312 for great lakes region chem eng students.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of Toledo

8

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 121 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also took the #5 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,234 for Great Lakes Region Chem Eng students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UW - Madison Chemical Engineering Report

9

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 181 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $14,321 for Great Lakes Region Chem Eng students.

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 full report on Chemical Engineering at UIUC

10

Cleveland State University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Cleveland State University is a fairly large public school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 74 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Cleveland State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,943 for Great Lakes Region Chem Eng students per year to attend Cleveland State University.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Cleveland State University

11

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UIC is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 85 ’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,214 for Great Lakes Region Chem Eng students per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at UIC

12

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school awarded 200 degrees to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.

Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $16,845 for great lakes region chem eng students.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Ohio State

13

Michigan Technological University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Michigan Technological University is located in Houghton, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 119 ’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

Michigan Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan Technological University is $15,384 for great lakes region chem eng 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Michigan Technological University

14
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school handed out 112 degrees to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.

Michigan State also took the #10 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $19,058 for great lakes region chem eng students.

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 Chemical Engineering Report

15
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. This large school is located in Detroit, Michigan, and it awarded 36 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region chem eng students list, Wayne State has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wayne State is $13,962 for great lakes region chem eng students.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Wayne State University

16

Miami University - Oxford did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #16. Miami University - Oxford is a public institution located in Oxford, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Miami University - Oxford also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for Miami University - Oxford is $24,756 for Great Lakes Region Chem Eng students.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Miami University - Oxford

17
Kettering crest
Kettering University
Flint, Michigan

Kettering University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Kettering is a private not-for-profit institution located in Flint, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region chem eng students list, Kettering has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Kettering is $33,472 for great lakes region chem eng students.

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

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Kettering University

18

Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #18. Illinois Institute of Technology is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 73 ’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

Illinois Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Institute of Technology is $23,772 for Great Lakes Region Chem Eng students.

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. 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 more about Chemical Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology

19
Trine crest
Trine University
Angola, Indiana

Trine University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Trine University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Angola, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Trine, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Trine is $25,028 for Great Lakes Region Chem Eng students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Trine University Chemical Engineering Report

20

University of Dayton did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. UDayton is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Dayton, Ohio. It awarded 46 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UDayton, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $29,928 for great lakes region chem eng students per year to attend University of Dayton.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of Dayton

21

With a ranking of #21, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 177 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $14,878 for Great Lakes Region Chem Eng students.

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%. 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

22

Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region 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 35 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology also took the #9 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology is $38,975 for great lakes region chem eng students.

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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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 90%.

Full Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology Chemical Engineering Report

23

Case Western Reserve University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 68 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Case Western also took the #7 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $34,214 for great lakes region chem eng students per year to attend Case Western Reserve University.

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

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Case Western

24
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #24. This fairly large school is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, and it awarded 88 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Notre Dame also took the #2 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $31,101 for Great Lakes Region Chem Eng students per year to attend Notre Dame.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, 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 97%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of Notre Dame

25
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s chem eng degrees to 48 students in 2020-2021.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $23,279 for great lakes region chem eng students per year to attend Northwestern.

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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Northwestern University Chemical Engineering Report

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