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

6 Ranked Colleges
519 Degrees Awarded
$14,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

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 Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 Plains States region, there were 519 general engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $68,243 and $17,663 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 6 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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The engineering school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

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

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

Top 6 Best Value Colleges for General Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region

1

Out of the 6 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Nebraska - Lincoln landed the #1 spot on the list. UNL is a public institution located in Lincoln, Nebraska. The school has a large population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UNL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNL is $13,453 for Plains States Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Engineering at UNL

2

Out of the 6 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Minnesota State University - Mankato landed the #2 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Mankato, Minnesota, and it awarded 36 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Minnesota State Mankato did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $12,263 for plains states region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Minnesota State Mankato.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Minnesota State Mankato General Engineering Report

3
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

Out of the 6 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #3 spot on the list. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

Iowa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa is $15,508 for Plains States Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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 88%.

Read full report on General Engineering at Iowa

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - Columbia. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Missouri - Columbia is a public institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Mizzou also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Mizzou is $11,386 for Plains States Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, 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 89%.

Read more about General Engineering at University of Missouri - Columbia

5
South Dakota State crest
South Dakota State University
Brookings, South Dakota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend South Dakota State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. South Dakota State is located in Brookings, South Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at South Dakota State, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend South Dakota State University is $14,846 for Plains States Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full South Dakota State General Engineering Report

6
SLU crest
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, Missouri

Saint Louis University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 43 students in 2020-2021.

SLU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $16,755 for plains states region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SLU.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Engineering at SLU

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Notes and References

References

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