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2023 Best Value Colleges for Chemical Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

26 Ranked Colleges
2,284 Degrees Awarded
$21,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 12,917 people earned their degree in chemical engineering, making the major the 70th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, chemical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $65,870 and had an average of $23,285 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 2,284 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $66,356 and $23,854 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 26 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in chemical engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent chemical engineering programs, but they also 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 in the Great Lakes Region”.

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. 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.

Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region.

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

1

Out of the 26 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. University of Akron Main Campus is located in Akron, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 104 ’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region chem eng students list, University of Akron Main Campus has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Akron Main Campus is $17,945 for Great Lakes Region Chem Eng students.

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

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

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. Purdue is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 237 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,377 for great lakes region chem eng students per year to attend Purdue.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Purdue

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Youngstown State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. 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 also took the #25 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,225 for Great Lakes Region Chem Eng students per year to attend Youngstown State University.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Youngstown State University

4
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Western Michigan University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region. Western Michigan University 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 WMU is $20,371 for Great Lakes Region Chem Eng students.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at WMU

5

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this large public school handed out 121 diplomas to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.

UC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $22,415 for Great Lakes Region Chem Eng students per year to attend UC.

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

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at UC

6

Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ohio University - Athens Campus is a large public school situated in Athens, Ohio. It awarded 34 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region chem eng students list, OHIO Athens has also earned the #20 rank 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.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Ohio University - Athens Campus

7

University of Toledo ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Toledo is a fairly large school located in Toledo, Ohio that handed out 69 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Toledo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #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.

Full University of Toledo Chemical Engineering Report

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 public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 121 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region chem eng students list, UW - Madison has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,234 for Great Lakes Region Chem Eng students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 95%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at UW - Madison

9

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s chem eng degrees to 181 students in 2020-2021.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $14,321 for great lakes region chem eng 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

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

10

Cleveland State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Cleveland State University is a fairly large school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 74 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Cleveland State University also took the #24 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cleveland State University is $16,943 for Great Lakes Region Chem Eng students.

Full Cleveland State University Chemical Engineering Report

11

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 85 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region chem eng students list, UIC has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,214 for great lakes region chem eng students.

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 full report on 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. Ohio State is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 200 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Ohio State also took the #8 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,845 for great lakes region chem eng students per year to attend Ohio State.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 Ohio State

13

Michigan Technological University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan Tech, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan Technological University is $15,384 for Great Lakes Region Chem Eng students.

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%.

Full Michigan Technological University Chemical Engineering Report

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. Michigan State University is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 112 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $19,058 for great lakes region chem eng 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%. 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 Chemical Engineering at Michigan State

15
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Wayne State is a large school located in Detroit, Michigan that handed out 36 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Wayne State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,962 for great lakes region chem eng students per year to attend Wayne State University.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Wayne State University

16

Miami University - Oxford ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. 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.

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 Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend 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%.

Full Miami University - Oxford Chemical Engineering Report

17
Kettering crest
Kettering University
Flint, Michigan

Kettering University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Flint, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 23 diplomas to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.

Kettering did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $33,472 for great lakes region chem eng students per year to attend Kettering.

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 more about Chemical Engineering at Kettering

18

Illinois Institute of Technology ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 73 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region chem eng students list, Illinois Tech has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Tech is $23,772 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%. The impressive undergraduate 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. 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 Chemical Engineering at Illinois Tech

19
Trine crest
Trine University
Angola, Indiana

With a ranking of #19, Trine University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Trine University is a small school located in Angola, Indiana that handed out 21 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Trine is $25,028 for great lakes region chem eng students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 Trine University

20

University of Dayton came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Dayton, Ohio, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 46 diplomas to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region chem eng students list, UDayton has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UDayton is $29,928 for Great Lakes Region Chem Eng students.

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

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. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 177 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M also took the #1 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,878 for Great Lakes Region Chem Eng students per year to attend U-M.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at U-M

22

With a ranking of #22, Milwaukee School of Engineering did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s chem eng degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.

MSOE also took the #23 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend MSOE is $24,428 for great lakes region chem eng students.

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

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Milwaukee School of Engineering

23

Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #23. Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Terre Haute, Indiana. It awarded 35 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology is $38,975 for great lakes region chem eng students.

The impressive undergraduate 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology

24

Case Western Reserve University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #24. Case Western is a fairly large school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 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. The estimated yearly cost for Case Western Reserve University is $34,214 for great lakes region chem eng students.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University

25
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

With a ranking of #25, University of Notre Dame did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, and it awarded 88 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Notre Dame, the school also landed 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 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of Notre Dame

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