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2023 Best Value Colleges for Electrical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

48 Ranked Colleges
4,524 Degrees Awarded
$8,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 28,844 people earned their degree in electrical engineering, making the major the 39th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, electrical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $74,380 and had an average of $24,114 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 4,524 electrical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,426 and $25,409 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 48 colleges that offer a degree in electrical engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great electrical 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 electrical engineering program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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

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

1
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s EE degrees to 76 students in 2020-2021.

Northwestern also took the #1 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $245 for great lakes region ee students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Full Northwestern University Electrical Engineering Report

2

Out of the 48 schools in the Best Value EE 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. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s EE degrees to 142 students in 2020-2021.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $2,670 for Great Lakes Region EE students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at U-M

3

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 EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 241 diplomas to qualified ’s EE students in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $3,981 for Great Lakes Region EE students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Electrical Engineering Report

4
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 366 degrees to qualified ’s EE students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region ee students whose families make $0-$30k list, Purdue has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,995 for Great Lakes Region EE students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at Purdue

5

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 #5 for the Best Value EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 463 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also made our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $4,858 for Great Lakes Region EE students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

6
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

With a ranking of #6, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school awarded 151 degrees to qualified ’s EE students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $6,927 for Great Lakes Region EE students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at Michigan State

7

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 332 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.

Ohio State also took the #9 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $7,068 for Great Lakes Region EE students whose families make $0-$30k 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Electrical Engineering at Ohio State

8

Michigan Technological University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Houghton, Michigan, and it awarded 152 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan Tech, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan Tech is $5,520 for great lakes region ee students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, 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%.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at Michigan Technological University

9
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Notre Dame is located in Notre Dame, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 60 ’s EE degrees to qualified students.

Notre Dame did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Notre Dame is $9,872 for great lakes region ee students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 Electrical Engineering at Notre Dame

10

University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well in the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. UM Dearborn is a medium-sized school located in Dearborn, Michigan that handed out 192 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.

UM Dearborn also made our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend UM Dearborn is $9,113 for Great Lakes Region EE students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UM Dearborn Electrical Engineering Report

11
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oakland University is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 146 ’s EE degrees to qualified students.

Oakland also took the #18 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oakland is $8,949 for Great Lakes Region EE students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Electrical Engineering at Oakland University

12

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 96 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend IUPUI is $7,026 for great lakes region ee students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at IUPUI

13

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 63 diplomas to qualified ’s EE students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,047 for great lakes region ee students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SIUE.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at SIUE

14

University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 162 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $10,549 for great lakes region ee students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Electrical Engineering at UIC

15

Purdue University Northwest ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Purdue University Northwest is a medium-sized public school situated in Hammond, Indiana. It awarded 59 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University Northwest is $6,775 for great lakes region ee students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Purdue University Northwest Electrical Engineering Report

16

Case Western Reserve University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Case Western Reserve University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 80 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.

Case Western also took the #8 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Case Western is $16,063 for great lakes region ee students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Electrical Engineering at Case Western

17

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a public institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 177 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC also took the #13 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $15,061 for Great Lakes Region EE students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 more about Electrical Engineering at UC

18
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wayne State is located in Detroit, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 114 ’s EE degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Wayne State is $11,060 for great lakes region ee students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at Wayne State University

19

University of Wisconsin - Platteville landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - Platteville is a public institution located in Platteville, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 62 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Platteville also made our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $8,887 for Great Lakes Region EE students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at UW - Platteville

20

Miami University - Oxford landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Oxford, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 27 diplomas to qualified ’s EE students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region ee students whose families make $0-$30k list, Miami University - Oxford has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Miami University - Oxford is $13,956 for Great Lakes Region EE students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Miami University - Oxford Electrical Engineering Report

21
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. WMU is a public institution located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 53 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Western Michigan University is $13,112 for great lakes region ee students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at Western Michigan University

22

Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Allendale, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s EE degrees to 35 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $10,259 for great lakes region ee students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend GVSU.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at Grand Valley State University

23

Youngstown State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Youngstown, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s EE degrees to 35 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,175 for great lakes region ee students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Youngstown State University.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at Youngstown State University

24
PFW crest
Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne did quite well in the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Fort Wayne, Indiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s EE degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,414 for Great Lakes Region EE students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue University Fort Wayne.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at PFW

25

University of Southern Indiana did quite well in the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. University of Southern Indiana is a medium-sized public school situated in Evansville, Indiana. It awarded 16 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,815 for great lakes region ee students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USI.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 USI Electrical Engineering Report

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