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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Engineering (Income $48-$75k)

81 Ranked Colleges
2,839 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

General Engineering is the 83rd most popular major in the country with 9,411 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,839 general engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 81 colleges that offered a degree in general engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general 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 general engineering program at the school. 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 Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s 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 Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Engineering (Income $48-$75k)

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#4 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 Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $6,452 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northwestern.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Engineering at Northwestern

#2

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 81 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Brown University landed the #2 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Providence, Rhode Island, and it awarded 65 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brown, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,689 for bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Brown University.

The impressive 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 student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Brown General Engineering Report

#3

Olin College

Needham, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Olin College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Olin College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Needham, Massachusetts. It awarded 35 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Olin College also made our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Olin College is $5,574 for bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive 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 Olin College General Engineering Report

#4

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 81 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Cornell University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Ithaca, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

Cornell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell University is $11,869 for bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Engineering at Cornell University

#5

Harvey Mudd College

Claremont, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 81 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvey Mudd College landed the #5 spot on the list. Harvey Mudd College is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 68 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvey Mudd College also made our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Harvey Mudd College is $14,210 for bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Engineering at Harvey Mudd College

#6

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#13 in overall quality

Johns Hopkins University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Johns Hopkins did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins is $9,049 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, 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 97%.

Read more about General Engineering at Johns Hopkins University

#7

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#11 in overall quality

California Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. California Institute of Technology is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 1 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Caltech, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Caltech is $8,042 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, 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 94%.

Full Caltech General Engineering Report

#8

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
#8 in overall quality

Swarthmore College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, Swarthmore has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,744 for bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Swarthmore College.

The school has an impressive 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on General Engineering at Swarthmore College

#9

Lafayette College

Easton, Pennsylvania
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Lafayette College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Easton, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, Lafayette has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,121 for bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Lafayette College.

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%. The 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 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Engineering at Lafayette

#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 129 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $13,578 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Engineering at University of California - Davis

With a ranking of #11, Michigan Technological University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Houghton, Michigan, this medium-sized public school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Michigan Tech is $13,720 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Michigan Technological University General Engineering Report

#12

McNeese State University

Lake Charles, Louisiana

McNeese State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. This medium-sized school is located in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and it awarded 94 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for McNeese is $17,357 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on General Engineering at McNeese

#13

Trinity College

Hartford, Connecticut
#7 in overall quality

Trinity College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Trinity Bantams is a small school located in Hartford, Connecticut that handed out 22 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Trinity Bantams, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Trinity College is $14,994 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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.

Read full report on General Engineering at Trinity College

#14

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. NC State is a public institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 49 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for NC State is $15,084 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full North Carolina State University General Engineering Report

California State University - Long Beach ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $10,807 for bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Engineering at CSULB

#16

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts
#18 in overall quality

Smith College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. Smith is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northampton, Massachusetts. It awarded 49 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, Smith has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Smith is $16,394 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Engineering at Smith College

#17

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#22 in overall quality

University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Charlottesville, Virginia. It awarded 10 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Virginia, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,671 for bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Virginia - Main Campus General Engineering Report

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this large public school awarded 192 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $14,033 for bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Arizona State University - Tempe General Engineering Report

#19

University of North Carolina at Asheville

Asheville, North Carolina

With a ranking of #19, University of North Carolina at Asheville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UNCA is a small public school situated in Asheville, North Carolina. It awarded 38 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Asheville is $11,635 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about General Engineering at University of North Carolina at Asheville

#20

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts
#10 in overall quality

Tufts University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. This fairly large school is located in Medford, Massachusetts, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Tufts not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Tufts is $13,525 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The 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. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Engineering at Tufts University

#21

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas
#20 in overall quality

Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. Texas A&M College Station is a large school located in College Station, Texas that handed out 6 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station also took the #20 spot in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M College Station is $18,810 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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 General Engineering at Texas A&M College Station

#22

College of Staten Island CUNY

Staten Island, New York

With a ranking of #22, College of Staten Island CUNY did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSI is a fairly large school located in Staten Island, New York that handed out 21 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSI is $9,043 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full College of Staten Island CUNY General Engineering Report

With a ranking of #23, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large public school situated in Mankato, Minnesota. It awarded 39 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,451 for bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Minnesota State Mankato.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 full report on General Engineering at Minnesota State University - Mankato

#24

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. U of U is located in Salt Lake City, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $14,501 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Utah.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Engineering at U of U

#25

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
#12 in overall quality

Carnegie Mellon University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.

Carnegie Mellon also made our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend Carnegie Mellon University is $18,276 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The 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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about General Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University

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 Rémi Kaupp.

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