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

36 Ranked Colleges
2,884 Degrees Awarded
$10,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 20,711 people earned their degree in general civil engineering, making the major the 41st most popular in the United States.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 2,884 general civil engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 36 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general civil engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general civil engineering 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 general civil engineering program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Civil Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

1
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 72 diplomas to qualified ’s general civil engineering students in 2020-2021.

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

The impressive undergraduate 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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Northwestern General Civil Engineering Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 96 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $2,670 for Great Lakes Region General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

3

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 General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 157 diplomas to qualified ’s general civil engineering students in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $3,981 for great lakes region general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Madison

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general civil engineering degrees to 403 students in 2020-2021.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $4,858 for great lakes region general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

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

5
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 #5 for the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 273 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Purdue also made our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $5,995 for Great Lakes Region General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue.

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%. 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 General Civil Engineering at Purdue University - Main Campus

6
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school handed out 90 degrees to qualified ’s general civil engineering students in 2020-2021.

Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $6,927 for great lakes region general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 General Civil Engineering at Michigan State

7
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 59 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Notre Dame has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $9,872 for great lakes region general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Notre Dame.

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. The low undergrad 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%. 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 University of Notre Dame General Civil Engineering Report

8

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 174 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $7,068 for Great Lakes Region General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.

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

Read more about General Civil Engineering at Ohio State

9

With a ranking of #9, Michigan Technological University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Houghton, Michigan, and it awarded 85 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan Tech also took the #11 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,520 for Great Lakes Region General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan Technological University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at Michigan Technological University

10

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 133 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

UIC also made our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $10,549 for Great Lakes Region General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at UIC

11

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 73 ’s general civil engineering degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $8,047 for great lakes region general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

12

University of Wisconsin - Platteville came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - Platteville is a public institution located in Platteville, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 96 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Platteville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Platteville is $8,887 for great lakes region general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at UW - Platteville

13
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Western Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It awarded 58 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

WMU also made our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend WMU is $13,112 for Great Lakes Region General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at WMU

14

Purdue University Northwest did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Hammond, Indiana, this medium-sized public school awarded 26 degrees to qualified ’s general civil engineering students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University Northwest is $6,775 for Great Lakes Region General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at Purdue Northwest

15

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 107 ’s general civil engineering degrees to qualified students.

UC also took the #15 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $15,061 for Great Lakes Region General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at UC

16

With a ranking of #16, Case Western Reserve University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Case Western Reserve University is a fairly large school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 29 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Case Western, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Case Western Reserve University is $16,063 for Great Lakes Region General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national 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 General Civil Engineering at Case Western

17

Illinois Institute of Technology ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois Institute of Technology is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 28 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois Tech also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Tech is $18,515 for great lakes region general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at Illinois Tech

18

With a ranking of #18, University of Akron Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Akron, Ohio. It awarded 82 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Akron Main Campus did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $14,420 for great lakes region general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at University of Akron Main Campus

19

With a ranking of #19, Youngstown State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Youngstown State University is located in Youngstown, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 54 ’s general civil engineering degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $9,175 for Great Lakes Region General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at Youngstown State University

20
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wayne State University is a large public school situated in Detroit, Michigan. It awarded 61 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,060 for great lakes region general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wayne State University.

Full Wayne State General Civil Engineering Report

21
Valpo crest
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso, Indiana

Valparaiso University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Valparaiso, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general civil engineering degrees to 25 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Valpo, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Valpo is $19,548 for great lakes region general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at Valparaiso University

22

University of Southern Indiana ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. USI is a public institution located in Evansville, Indiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for USI is $7,815 for great lakes region general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full USI General Civil Engineering Report

23

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 46 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,665 for Great Lakes Region General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Full SIUC General Civil Engineering Report

24
Marquette crest
Marquette University
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Marquette University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 45 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Marquette did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $18,589 for great lakes region general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Marquette.

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 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at Marquette University

25

With a ranking of #25, University of Toledo did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Toledo, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general civil engineering degrees to 57 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, University of Toledo has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Toledo is $13,803 for Great Lakes Region General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at University of Toledo

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