Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Electrical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

51 Ranked Colleges
2,950 Degrees Awarded
$8,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor's 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. College Factual has developed its “Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Electrical Engineering is the 26th most popular major in the country with 29,892 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 4,926 electrical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,950 electrical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 51 colleges that offer a degree in electrical engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality electrical engineering programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the electrical engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Electrical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

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 EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 10 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwestern has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $1,866 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 Electrical Engineering at Northwestern University

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 99 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M also took the #3 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $3,166 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 Electrical Engineering at U-M

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 221 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s EE students in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 Electrical Engineering Report

#8 in overall quality

Out of the 51 schools in the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #4 spot on the list. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 121 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also made our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $4,367 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Electrical Engineering Report

#5

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#6 in overall quality

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 EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Purdue is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 216 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $5,483 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at Purdue

#6

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#2 in overall quality

University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Notre Dame is $12,498 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low 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.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at Notre Dame

#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Michigan Technological University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Houghton, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s EE degrees to 77 students in 2019-2020.

Michigan Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Michigan Technological University is $8,295 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, 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 86%.

Full Michigan Technological University Electrical Engineering Report

#9 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 248 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $8,194 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#9

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#11 in overall quality

Michigan State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s EE degrees to 95 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k list, Michigan State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $6,686 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at Michigan State University

#10

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#16 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Platteville came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Platteville, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 66 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s EE students in 2019-2020.

UW - Platteville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Platteville is $12,117 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

#11

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

Purdue University Northwest did quite well in the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Purdue University Northwest is a medium-sized school located in Hammond, Indiana that handed out 41 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,911 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue University Northwest.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at Purdue University Northwest

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 57 bachelors’s EE degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $5,052 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at IUPUI

#13

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan
#25 in overall quality

Oakland University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oakland is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 108 bachelors’s EE degrees to qualified students.

Oakland not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $7,490 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oakland.

Full Oakland Electrical Engineering Report

#23 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Dearborn came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UM Dearborn is a medium-sized school located in Dearborn, Michigan that handed out 105 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

UM Dearborn also took the #23 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Dearborn is $6,751 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at University of Michigan - Dearborn

#15

Lake Superior State University

Sault Ste Marie, Michigan

Lake Superior State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lake Superior State University is a small school located in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan that handed out 4 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,067 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lake Superior State University.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at Lake Superior State University

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,055 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Electrical Engineering Report

#21 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 105 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s EE students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $10,648 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIC.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 Electrical Engineering at University of Illinois at Chicago

#18

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Southern Indiana is a public institution located in Evansville, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,244 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USI.

The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 Electrical Engineering at USI

#19

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school awarded 36 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s EE students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Grand Valley State University is $11,578 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full GVSU Electrical Engineering Report

#20

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne did quite well in the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. PFW is a public institution located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,129 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue University Fort Wayne.

Full PFW Electrical Engineering Report

#21

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. NIU is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 90 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,281 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northern Illinois University.

Full Northern Illinois University Electrical Engineering Report

#22

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Central Michigan University is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,598 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Central Michigan.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at Central Michigan

#23

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan

With a ranking of #23, Saginaw Valley State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Saginaw Valley State University is a medium-sized public school situated in University Center, Michigan. It awarded 14 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Saginaw Valley State University is $10,522 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at Saginaw Valley State University

#24

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan

With a ranking of #24, Wayne State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wayne State University is a large school located in Detroit, Michigan that handed out 64 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,413 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wayne State University.

Full Wayne State University Electrical Engineering Report

#25

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio

With a ranking of #25, Youngstown State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s 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 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s EE degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $9,069 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Youngstown State University Electrical Engineering Report

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to NASA.

Featured Engineering Schools

Find Schools Near You