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2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k

39 Ranked Colleges
2,586 Degrees Awarded
$11,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k

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 Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 11,796 people earned their degree in general engineering, making the major the 79th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, general engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $68,873 and had an average of $20,557 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southeast region, there were 2,586 general engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $62,738 and $21,037 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 39 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.

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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 Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in the Southeast Region

1
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 10 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt is $4,652 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Vanderbilt University General Engineering Report

2
Wake Technical Community College crest
Wake Technical Community College
Raleigh, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wake Technical Community College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Wake Technical Community College is a public institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 133 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, Wake Technical Community College has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $4,842 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wake Technical Community College.

Full Wake Technical Community College General Engineering Report

3
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

Out of the 39 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, North Carolina State University landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 52 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NC State, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NC State is $9,448 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Engineering at North Carolina State University

4
WVU crest
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend West Virginia University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Morgantown, West Virginia, this large public school awarded 41 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

WVU also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WVU is $10,250 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full West Virginia University General Engineering Report

5
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Georgia. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 24 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UGA, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Georgia is $10,688 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UGA General Engineering Report

6
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas

University of Arkansas did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. University of Arkansas is a large public school situated in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It awarded 106 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UARK, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UARK is $13,690 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Engineering at UARK

7
Mississippi State crest
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, Mississippi

Mississippi State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Mississippi State University is a large public school situated in Mississippi State, Mississippi. It awarded 36 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Mississippi State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $13,553 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Mississippi State University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Mississippi State University General Engineering Report

8
Louisiana Tech crest
Louisiana Tech University
Ruston, Louisiana

Louisiana Tech University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Louisiana Tech is a public institution located in Ruston, Louisiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 36 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Louisiana Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Louisiana Tech is $9,287 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on General Engineering at Louisiana Tech University

9
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a large school located in Charlottesville, Virginia that handed out 5 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $10,063 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Virginia.

The low undergrad 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 full report on General Engineering at University of Virginia - Main Campus

10
Marshall University crest
Marshall University
Huntington, West Virginia

Marshall University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Marshall University is located in Huntington, West Virginia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 31 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Marshall University is $6,254 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on General Engineering at Marshall University

11

The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. This fairly large school is located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and it awarded 23 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Chattanooga, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $11,059 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga.

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

12
Old Dominion crest
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia

With a ranking of #12, Old Dominion University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Old Dominion is a large public school situated in Norfolk, Virginia. It awarded 113 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Old Dominion not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Old Dominion is $13,574 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on General Engineering at Old Dominion University

13
ECU crest
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina

East Carolina University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. ECU is a large public school situated in Greenville, North Carolina. It awarded 102 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ECU, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend ECU is $13,029 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full ECU General Engineering Report

14

University of North Carolina at Asheville ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UNCA is a public institution located in Asheville, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, UNCA has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNCA is $10,130 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UNCA General Engineering Report

15
Ole Miss crest
University of Mississippi
University, Mississippi

With a ranking of #15, University of Mississippi did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in University, Mississippi, this large public school awarded 20 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

Ole Miss did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Mississippi is $9,489 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full University of Mississippi General Engineering Report

16

Tennessee Technological University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Cookeville, Tennessee, this medium-sized public school awarded 16 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, Tennessee Tech University has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $13,474 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Tennessee Tech University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Engineering at Tennessee Tech University

17
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. James Madison University is a public institution located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 76 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

JMU also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $14,985 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend JMU.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Engineering at James Madison University

18

University of Alabama in Huntsville did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. UAH is a medium-sized public school situated in Huntsville, Alabama. It awarded 76 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UAH, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Alabama in Huntsville is $15,967 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Alabama in Huntsville General Engineering Report

19

Christian Brothers University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Christian Brothers is located in Memphis, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Christian Brothers also took the #24 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Christian Brothers University is $11,036 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Engineering at Christian Brothers

20
WCU crest
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, North Carolina

With a ranking of #20, Western Carolina University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. WCU is located in Cullowhee, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 29 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $11,625 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Western Carolina University.

Read full report on General Engineering at WCU

21

With a ranking of #21, University of Alabama at Birmingham did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Birmingham, Alabama, this large public school awarded 143 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

UAB also took the #11 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Alabama at Birmingham is $14,800 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 full report on General Engineering at UAB

22

With a ranking of #22, University of Louisiana at Lafayette did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Lafayette, Louisiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 25 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UL Lafayette is $11,697 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on General Engineering at University of Louisiana at Lafayette

23

With a ranking of #23, Arkansas State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. A-State is located in Jonesboro, Arkansas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $12,019 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend A-State.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Arkansas State University - Main Campus General Engineering Report

24
UofM crest
University of Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee

University of Memphis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. Memphis, Tennessee is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UofM is $11,948 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Engineering at University of Memphis

25

The University of Tennessee - Martin came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. The University of Tennessee - Martin is a public institution located in Martin, Tennessee. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 24 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $10,151 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UT Martin.

Full The University of Tennessee - Martin General Engineering Report

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