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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Engineering

81 Ranked Colleges
2,839 Degrees Awarded
$15,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking.

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” ranking looked at 81 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general engineering programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general engineering program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank General Engineering Schools

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 Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Engineering

#1

McNeese State University

Lake Charles, Louisiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend McNeese State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s. McNeese State University is a public institution located in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 94 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,267 for bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend McNeese.

Full McNeese State University General Engineering Report

#2

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Carolina University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s list. WCU is a fairly large school located in Cullowhee, North Carolina that handed out 34 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Western Carolina University is $13,722 for bachelor’s degree engineering students.

Full WCU General Engineering Report

Out of the 81 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Minnesota State University - Mankato landed the #3 spot on the list. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a public institution located in Mankato, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State Mankato is $16,221 for bachelor’s degree engineering students.

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%.

Read more about General Engineering at Minnesota State University - Mankato

#4

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Out of the 81 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Illinois University landed the #4 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $16,210 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

Full Western Illinois University General Engineering Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Tennessee - Martin. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s. UT Martin is a medium-sized public school situated in Martin, Tennessee. It awarded 37 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UT Martin is $10,955 for bachelor’s degree engineering students.

Read more about General Engineering at The University of Tennessee - Martin

#6

East Carolina University

Greenville, North Carolina

East Carolina University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s list. ECU is a large school located in Greenville, North Carolina that handed out 134 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,844 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students per year to attend ECU.

Full East Carolina University General Engineering Report

#7

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Southern Indiana is a public institution located in Evansville, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for USI is $13,437 for bachelor’s degree engineering students.

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 full report on General Engineering at University of Southern Indiana

#8

Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville, Tennessee

With a ranking of #8, Tennessee Technological University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Tennessee Tech University is a public institution located in Cookeville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,929 for bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend Tennessee Tech University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Tennessee Tech University General Engineering Report

California State University - Long Beach landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 18 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $9,622 for bachelor’s degree engineering students.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about General Engineering at California State University - Long Beach

With a ranking of #10, Montana Technological University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Butte, Montana, this small public school handed out 57 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,023 for bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend Montana Technological University.

Full Montana Technological University General Engineering Report

#11

John Brown University

Siloam Springs, Arkansas

John Brown University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 19 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend John Brown University is $21,963 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Engineering at JBU

#12

University of North Carolina at Asheville

Asheville, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Asheville came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Asheville, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UNCA is $12,061 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

Read full report on General Engineering at UNCA

#13

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia
#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, James Madison University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s list. JMU is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 78 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

JMU also made our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for James Madison University is $22,169 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Full James Madison University General Engineering Report

#14

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s list. North Carolina State University is a large school located in Raleigh, North Carolina that handed out 49 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend NC State is $16,458 for bachelor’s degree engineering students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Engineering at North Carolina State University

#15

Frostburg State University

Frostburg, Maryland

Frostburg State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Frostburg, Maryland is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,676 for bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend Frostburg State University.

Read full report on General Engineering at Frostburg State University

#16

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi

University of Mississippi did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #16. Located in University, Mississippi, this large public school awarded 17 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Mississippi is $14,016 for bachelor’s degree engineering students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Engineering at Ole Miss

#17

Rowan University

Glassboro, New Jersey

Rowan University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Rowan is located in Glassboro, New Jersey and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $25,454 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students per year to attend Rowan University.

Read more about General Engineering at Rowan University

University of Akron Main Campus ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s list. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Akron, Ohio that handed out 4 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $17,792 for bachelor’s degree engineering students.

Read more about General Engineering at University of Akron Main Campus

The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s list. UT Chattanooga is a public institution located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga is $12,952 for bachelor’s degree engineering students.

Read more about General Engineering at UT Chattanooga

#20

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah

With a ranking of #20, University of Utah did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, this large public school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,773 for bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend U of U.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Engineering at U of U

With a ranking of #21, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Arizona State University - Tempe is a large public school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 192 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,706 for bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend ASU - Tempe.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on General Engineering at ASU - Tempe

#22

Mercer University

Macon, Georgia

Mercer University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Mercer University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Macon, Georgia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 146 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Mercer is $21,464 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read more about General Engineering at Mercer University

#23

Marshall University

Huntington, West Virginia

Marshall University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Marshall University is a fairly large school located in Huntington, West Virginia that handed out 23 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,370 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students per year to attend Marshall University.

Read more about General Engineering at Marshall University

#24

Geneva College

Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania

Geneva College landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Geneva College is a small school located in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania that handed out 72 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Geneva College is $19,778 for bachelor’s degree engineering students.

Read full report on General Engineering at Geneva

#25

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook, New York

Stony Brook University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Stony Brook, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Stony Brook is $15,160 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 90%.

Read more about General Engineering at SUNY Stony Brook

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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