2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
36
Ranked Colleges
2,925
Degrees Awarded
$10,000
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Civil Engineering is the 50th most popular major in the country with 21,388 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, civil engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $63,364 and had an average of $24,364 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 2,925 civil engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $62,958 and $25,172 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 36 colleges that offer a degree in civil engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great civil engineering programs and cost less that 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 civil engineering program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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 Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Civil Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 72 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $245 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Civil Engineering at Northwestern
Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value Civil Eng Schools 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. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 98 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M also made our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $2,670 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Full U-M Civil Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 157 students in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $3,981 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Madison
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 403 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $4,858 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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 Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 273 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Purdue also made our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,995 for Great Lakes Region Civil 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 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%.
Read more about Civil Engineering at Purdue University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #6, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Michigan State University is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 90 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, Michigan State has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $6,927 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.
Full Michigan State University Civil Engineering Report
University of Notre Dame landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 67 students in 2020-2021.
Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $9,872 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Notre Dame.
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 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full University of Notre Dame Civil Engineering Report
Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 174 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, Ohio State has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $7,068 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at Ohio State
Michigan Technological University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan Tech is a public institution located in Houghton, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 87 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan Tech is $5,520 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at Michigan Technological University
University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 133 degrees to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.
UIC also took the #16 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $10,549 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 Civil Engineering at University of Illinois at Chicago
With a ranking of #11, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 73 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $8,047 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at SIUE
University of Wisconsin - Platteville ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - Platteville is a medium-sized public school situated in Platteville, Wisconsin. It awarded 96 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Platteville also made our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $8,887 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Platteville.
Full UW - Platteville Civil Engineering Report
Western Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Western Michigan University is a fairly large school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan that handed out 63 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
WMU also took the #18 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,112 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Western Michigan University.
Full Western Michigan University Civil Engineering Report
Purdue University Northwest landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Purdue University Northwest is a medium-sized public school situated in Hammond, Indiana. It awarded 26 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Purdue Northwest is $6,775 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Purdue Northwest Civil Engineering Report
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC is a large public school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 107 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
UC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC is $15,061 for great lakes region civil 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%. 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 full report on Civil Engineering at UC
Case Western Reserve University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Case Western is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cleveland, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 29 ’s 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 Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,063 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Case Western Reserve University.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Case Western Civil Engineering Report
Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Illinois Tech is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 44 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois Tech, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $18,515 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois Institute of Technology.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The 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.
Read more about Civil Engineering at Illinois Tech
University of Akron Main Campus landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Akron, Ohio. It awarded 82 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Akron Main Campus also made our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $14,420 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Civil Engineering at University of Akron Main Campus
Youngstown State University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Youngstown State University is a public institution located in Youngstown, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 54 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $9,175 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Youngstown State University.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at Youngstown State University
With a ranking of #20, Wayne State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wayne State is located in Detroit, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 61 ’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Wayne State University is $11,060 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at Wayne State
Valparaiso University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Valparaiso, Indiana, and it awarded 25 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Valpo also made our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for Valparaiso University is $19,548 for great lakes region civil eng 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%.
Full Valpo Civil Engineering Report
University of Southern Indiana did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. USI is a medium-sized school located in Evansville, Indiana that handed out 11 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $7,815 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Southern Indiana.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Southern Indiana Civil Engineering Report
Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 47 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $11,665 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at SIUC
Marquette University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 45 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Marquette, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Marquette is $18,589 for great lakes region civil eng 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 1.5% 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 Civil Engineering at Marquette University
With a ranking of #25, University of Toledo did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Toledo is a fairly large school located in Toledo, Ohio that handed out 57 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Toledo also took the #25 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,803 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Toledo.
Full University of Toledo Civil Engineering Report
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