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2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

36 Ranked Colleges
2,925 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 21,388 people earned their degree in civil engineering, making the major the 50th most popular in the United States. 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.

This year’s “Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 36 colleges that offered a degree in civil engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent civil engineering programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the civil engineering program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most 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 Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Civil Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

1
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 72 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $5,849 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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. 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%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Northwestern

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 Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 98 ’s civil eng 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 Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $10,481 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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 full report on Civil Engineering at U-M

3
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 273 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $8,450 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 full report on Civil Engineering at Purdue

4

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 403 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $11,505 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIUC.

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

Read more about Civil Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 157 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $10,364 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW - Madison.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at UW - Madison

6
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, and it awarded 67 ’s civil eng degrees 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. The estimated yearly cost for Notre Dame is $14,020 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Notre Dame Civil Engineering Report

7

Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school awarded 174 degrees to qualified ’s civil eng students 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 Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $13,273 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full Ohio State Civil Engineering Report

8

Michigan Technological University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Houghton, Michigan, and it awarded 87 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan Tech is $11,794 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Civil Engineering Report

9

University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UIC is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 133 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

UIC also took the #16 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,105 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIC.

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

10

University of Wisconsin - Platteville ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Platteville, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 96 diplomas to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW - Platteville has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Platteville is $13,699 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full UW - Platteville Civil Engineering Report

11

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 $48-$75k list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 73 ’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $12,950 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SIUE.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at SIUE

12
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Michigan State University is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 90 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $20,557 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Michigan State University.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Michigan State Civil Engineering Report

13
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Detroit, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 61 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Wayne State University is $13,612 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Wayne State

14

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 47 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,499 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SIUC.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at SIUC

15

Case Western Reserve University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 29 degrees to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.

Case Western not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Case Western is $19,864 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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 more about Civil Engineering at Case Western Reserve University

16

With a ranking of #16, University of Akron Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Akron, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 82 students in 2020-2021.

University of Akron Main Campus did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $18,860 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full University of Akron Main Campus Civil Engineering Report

17

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UC is a large school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 107 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

UC also made our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend UC is $20,867 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Civil Engineering Report

18

University of Toledo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. Toledo, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 57 students in 2020-2021.

University of Toledo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Toledo is $17,555 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full University of Toledo Civil Engineering Report

19

Youngstown State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Youngstown, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 54 diplomas to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $13,754 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Youngstown State University Civil Engineering Report

20

With a ranking of #20, Purdue University Northwest did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Purdue University Northwest is located in Hammond, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University Northwest is $12,829 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Purdue University Northwest

21
Valpo crest
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso, Indiana

Valparaiso University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Valparaiso, Indiana, and it awarded 25 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k list, Valpo has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $21,256 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Valpo.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 Valparaiso University

22
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Western Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It awarded 63 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

WMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $20,840 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Western Michigan University.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at WMU

23

With a ranking of #23, Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 44 ’s civil eng 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. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Tech is $22,339 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Illinois Tech

24

Milwaukee School of Engineering ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Milwaukee School of Engineering is a private not-for-profit institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

MSOE also made our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $18,854 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend MSOE.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 Milwaukee School of Engineering

25
UE crest
University of Evansville
Evansville, Indiana

With a ranking of #25, University of Evansville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Evansville, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $20,890 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Evansville.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 UE

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