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2023 Best Value Colleges for General Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

26 Ranked Colleges
1,712 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

General Engineering is the 79th most popular major in the country with 11,796 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 Great Lakes region, there were 1,712 general engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $76,207 and $23,456 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 26 colleges that offer a degree 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.

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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 Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k”.

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 Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

1
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 6 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $5,849 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northwestern University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Engineering at Northwestern

2
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 96 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $8,450 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus General Engineering Report

3

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 64 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $10,364 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Engineering at UW - Madison

4

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #4 spot on the list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $11,505 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full UIUC General Engineering Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UW - Platteville is a medium-sized public school situated in Platteville, Wisconsin. It awarded 47 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Platteville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $13,699 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on General Engineering at UW - Platteville

6

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Ohio State is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,273 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Ohio State.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read full report on General Engineering at Ohio State University - Main Campus

7

Grand Valley State University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school awarded 16 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

GVSU also took the #10 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $15,277 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Grand Valley State University General Engineering Report

8
PFW crest
Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and it awarded 25 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

PFW not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University Fort Wayne is $13,015 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full PFW General Engineering Report

9

Case Western Reserve University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

Case Western did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Case Western is $19,864 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Engineering at Case Western

10

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, UIC has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $14,105 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full UIC General Engineering Report

11
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Michigan State University is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 103 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan State also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $20,557 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 91%.

Full Michigan State General Engineering Report

12

Youngstown State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Youngstown, Ohio, and it awarded 7 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, Youngstown State University has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $13,754 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about General Engineering at Youngstown State University

13

Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Athens, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 152 students in 2020-2021.

OHIO Athens also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $23,509 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend OHIO Athens.

Full Ohio University - Athens Campus General Engineering Report

14

Wright State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. This fairly large school is located in Dayton, Ohio, and it awarded 12 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Wright State University - Main Campus also took the #17 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,871 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Wright State University - Main Campus.

Full Wright State University - Main Campus General Engineering Report

15

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. UWM is a public institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 88 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, UWM has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UWM is $17,606 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee General Engineering Report

16

University of Southern Indiana ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. USI is located in Evansville, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

USI also took the #23 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern Indiana is $14,486 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full USI General Engineering Report

17

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 7 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,499 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SIUC.

Full SIUC General Engineering Report

18
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

With a ranking of #18, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Central Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 9 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Central Michigan also took the #24 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan is $15,720 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read more about General Engineering at Central Michigan

19

University of Akron Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. Akron, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.

University of Akron Main Campus also took the #16 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $18,860 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about General Engineering at University of Akron Main Campus

20

With a ranking of #20, Milwaukee School of Engineering did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MSOE, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Milwaukee School of Engineering is $18,854 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read full report on General Engineering at MSOE

21

Purdue University Northwest ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Purdue Northwest is located in Hammond, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University Northwest is $12,829 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on General Engineering at Purdue Northwest

22
Hope crest
Hope College
Holland, Michigan

Hope College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Hope College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Holland, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 53 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, Hope has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Hope College is $22,669 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 more about General Engineering at Hope

23
Olivet Nazarene crest
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Olivet Nazarene is a small school located in Bourbonnais, Illinois that handed out 48 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Olivet Nazarene also took the #18 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,206 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Olivet Nazarene University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Olivet Nazarene General Engineering Report

24
Calvin crest
Calvin University
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Calvin University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and it awarded 85 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Calvin also took the #9 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $22,329 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Calvin University.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad 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 more about General Engineering at Calvin University

25

Miami University - Oxford came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Oxford, Ohio, and it awarded 12 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Miami University - Oxford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Miami University - Oxford is $23,513 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Engineering at Miami University - Oxford

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