2023 Best Value Colleges for Civil Engineering in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
36
Ranked Colleges
2,925
Degrees Awarded
$17,400
Avg Net Price*
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 Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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 Getting Aid” ranking looked at 36 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
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
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 Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college 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. 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 Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region civil eng students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Civil Engineering in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid 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.
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 estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,377 for great lakes region civil eng students with aid.
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 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Civil Engineering at Purdue
Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #2 spot on the list. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,321 for great lakes region civil eng students with aid per year to attend UIUC.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Civil Engineering Report
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 Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 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. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $17,234 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students with aid.
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 full report on Civil Engineering at UW - Madison
Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 98 diplomas to qualified ’s civil eng students 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 $14,878 for great lakes region civil eng students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.
Full U-M Civil Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 133 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,214 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 more about Civil Engineering at UIC
Michigan State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 90 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan State also made our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $19,058 for great lakes region civil eng students with aid.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Michigan State Civil Engineering Report
With a ranking of #7, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. 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.
Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,845 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students with aid 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 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%.
Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Civil Engineering Report
University of Wisconsin - Platteville landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UW - Platteville is located in Platteville, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 96 ’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.
UW - Platteville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $14,565 for great lakes region civil eng students with aid.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Platteville
With a ranking of #9, Michigan Technological University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Houghton, Michigan, and it awarded 87 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region civil eng students with aid list, Michigan Tech has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan Tech is $15,384 for great lakes region civil eng students with aid.
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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Michigan Technological University Civil Engineering Report
Northwestern University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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.
Northwestern also took the #1 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $23,279 for great lakes region civil eng students with aid.
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 0.6% 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%. 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.
Full Northwestern Civil Engineering Report
With a ranking of #11, Western Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and it awarded 63 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
WMU also made our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $20,371 for great lakes region civil eng students with aid per year to attend Western Michigan University.
Full WMU Civil Engineering Report
Purdue University Northwest landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Hammond, Indiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $11,384 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students with aid per year to attend Purdue Northwest.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at Purdue Northwest
University of Akron Main Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Akron Main Campus is a public institution located in Akron, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 82 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Akron Main Campus not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $17,945 for great lakes region civil eng students with aid.
Full University of Akron Main Campus Civil Engineering Report
With a ranking of #14, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UC is a large public school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 107 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region civil eng students with aid list, UC has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $22,415 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. 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%.
Read more about Civil Engineering at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
Youngstown State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Youngstown State University is a fairly large public school situated in Youngstown, Ohio. It awarded 54 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $12,225 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students with aid.
Full Youngstown State University Civil Engineering Report
With a ranking of #16, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. SIUE 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 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,462 for great lakes region civil eng students with aid.
Read more about Civil Engineering at SIUE
Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid 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 $16,285 for great lakes region civil eng students with aid per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Read more about Civil Engineering at SIUC
With a ranking of #18, Wayne State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Detroit, Michigan, this large public school awarded 61 diplomas to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $13,962 for Great Lakes Region Civil Eng students with aid per year to attend Wayne State University.
Full Wayne State University Civil Engineering Report
University of Toledo ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Toledo is a fairly large public school situated in Toledo, Ohio. It awarded 57 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Toledo also made our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend University of Toledo is $17,312 for great lakes region civil eng students with aid.
Read more about Civil Engineering at University of Toledo
University of Notre Dame ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Notre Dame is $31,101 for great lakes region civil eng students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 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%.
Full Notre Dame Civil Engineering Report
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 60 diplomas to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is $17,486 for great lakes region civil eng students with aid.
Read more about Civil Engineering at UWM
Cleveland State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cleveland State University is a fairly large school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 81 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Cleveland State University is $16,943 for great lakes region civil eng students with aid.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at Cleveland State University
University of Southern Indiana ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. USI is a medium-sized public school situated in Evansville, Indiana. It awarded 11 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend USI is $13,481 for great lakes region civil eng students with aid.
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%.
Read more about Civil Engineering at University of Southern Indiana
Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ohio University - Athens Campus is a large public school situated in Athens, Ohio. It awarded 100 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
OHIO Athens also took the #23 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $23,831 for great lakes region civil eng students with aid per year to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus.
Read more about Civil Engineering at Ohio University - Athens Campus
With a ranking of #25, Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Illinois Tech 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. It costs about $23,772 for great lakes region civil eng students with aid per year to attend Illinois Tech.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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. 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%.
Full Illinois Tech Civil Engineering Report
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