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2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k

10 Ranked Colleges
257 Degrees Awarded
$16,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

General Engineering is the 78th most popular major in the country with 11,925 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, general engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $66,152 and had an average of $20,077 in loans still to pay off.

Across Pennsylvania, there were 476 general engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $49,211 and $25,494 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 257 general engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 10 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general 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 general engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank General Engineering Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 10 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in Pennsylvania

#1

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Swarthmore College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k. This small school is located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Swarthmore not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Swarthmore is $5,860 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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 impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Swarthmore General Engineering Report

#2

Lafayette College

Easton, Pennsylvania

Out of the 10 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Lafayette College landed the #2 spot on the list. Lafayette is a private not-for-profit institution located in Easton, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Lafayette not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lafayette is $6,934 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 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 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 College

#3

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Carnegie Mellon University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k. Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Carnegie Mellon also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $12,542 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Carnegie Mellon.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.

Read more about General Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University

#4

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania

Out of the 10 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Elizabethtown College landed the #4 spot on the list. Elizabethtown College is a small school located in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania that handed out 24 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Etown, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $19,191 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Etown.

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

Read full report on General Engineering at Elizabethtown College

#5

Geneva College

Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Geneva College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 72 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

Geneva did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $16,158 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Geneva.

Read full report on General Engineering at Geneva

#6

Messiah University

Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

Messiah University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 61 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

Messiah did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $20,824 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Messiah.

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 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Engineering at Messiah University

#7

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Temple University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Temple University is a large public school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 4 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Temple also took the #10 spot in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Temple University is $18,315 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Temple University General Engineering Report

#8

Saint Francis University

Loretto, Pennsylvania
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Saint Francis University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Saint Francis is a small school located in Loretto, Pennsylvania that handed out 2 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Saint Francis also made our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Saint Francis University is $21,504 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering 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 2.3% 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 Saint Francis General Engineering Report

#9

Thomas Jefferson University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#8 in overall quality

Thomas Jefferson University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Thomas Jefferson University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 4 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Thomas Jefferson University has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Thomas Jefferson University is $18,118 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 full report on General Engineering at Thomas Jefferson University

#10

Drexel University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Drexel University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

Drexel also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $25,234 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Drexel.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 Drexel General Engineering Report

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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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