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2023 Best Value Colleges for Civil Engineering (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region

36 Ranked Colleges
2,925 Degrees Awarded
$20,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 $75-$110k” 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.

This year’s “Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking looked at 36 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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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 $75-$110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Civil Engineering (Income $75-$110k) 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 $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 72 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern also made our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $15,686 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

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. 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.

Full Northwestern Civil Engineering Report

2

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 98 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $17,207 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

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 $75-$110k list. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $17,124 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Purdue

4

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 $75-$110k. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. 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 $22,400 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UIUC.

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

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Civil Engineering Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Michigan Technological University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Michigan Tech is a medium-sized school located in Houghton, Michigan that handed out 87 ’s civil eng 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 Technological University is $17,069 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Michigan Technological University

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

University of Notre Dame ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Notre Dame is located in Notre Dame, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 67 ’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k list, Notre Dame has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $18,969 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Notre Dame.

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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Notre Dame

7

With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 157 ’s 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 $22,377 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k 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%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Civil Engineering Report

8

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 174 ’s civil eng 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 Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $21,575 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Ohio State.

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

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Ohio State

9

University of Wisconsin - Platteville ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Platteville, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 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 $75-$110k list, UW - Platteville has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $17,029 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

10

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 133 ’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

UIC also took the #16 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $19,839 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.

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

Read more about Civil Engineering at UIC

11

University of Akron Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #11. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Akron, Ohio that handed out 82 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Akron Main Campus, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $20,778 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Civil Engineering at University of Akron Main Campus

12

Youngstown State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #12. Youngstown State University is a fairly large public school situated in Youngstown, Ohio. It awarded 54 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $15,809 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Youngstown State University Civil Engineering Report

12
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #12. Michigan State is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 90 ’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

Michigan State also took the #10 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $25,297 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Michigan State

14

University of Toledo ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Toledo is a public institution located in Toledo, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 57 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Toledo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $19,328 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Toledo.

Read more about Civil Engineering at University of Toledo

15
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

With a ranking of #15, Wayne State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k 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 $17,814 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Wayne State

16

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Cincinnati, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 107 students 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 yearly cost to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $24,534 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Civil Engineering Report

17

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. SIUE is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 73 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $18,226 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend SIUE.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at SIUE

18

Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #18. Illinois Institute of Technology is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 44 ’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

Illinois Tech also made our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Tech is $24,673 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology

19
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #19. This fairly large school is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and 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. The estimated yearly cost for Western Michigan University is $23,726 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Western Michigan University Civil Engineering Report

20

Purdue University Northwest came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Purdue University Northwest is a public institution located in Hammond, Indiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue Northwest is $16,690 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on 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 $75-$110k list. Valparaiso University is a small school located in Valparaiso, Indiana that handed out 25 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Valpo also took the #24 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Valpo is $23,646 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

22

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 47 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $18,841 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Civil Engineering Report

23

Milwaukee School of Engineering did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 48 degrees to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.

MSOE also took the #22 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for MSOE is $23,240 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Milwaukee School of Engineering

24

Case Western Reserve University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 29 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 $75-$110k list, Case Western has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Case Western is $29,971 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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 Civil Engineering at Case Western Reserve University

25

Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Athens, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 100 students in 2020-2021.

OHIO Athens did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $26,039 for great lakes region civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus.

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

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