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2023 Best Value Colleges for General Engineering (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region

26 Ranked Colleges
1,712 Degrees Awarded
$20,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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 $75-$110k” ranking, we looked at 26 colleges that offer 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Engineering (Income $75-$110k) 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 $75-$110k. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 6 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $15,686 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Northwestern General Engineering Report

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

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 96 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $17,124 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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 93%.

Read more about General Engineering at Purdue

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 64 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering students whose families make $75-$110k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $22,377 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison General Engineering Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. UW - Platteville is located in Platteville, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 47 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

UW - Platteville also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $17,029 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville.

Full University of Wisconsin - Platteville General Engineering Report

5

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 14 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $22,400 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 low undergrad 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%.

Read more about General Engineering at UIUC

6

Grand Valley State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. GVSU is located in Allendale, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 16 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

GVSU also took the #10 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $19,603 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Grand Valley State University.

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 Grand Valley State University General Engineering Report

7
PFW crest
Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This medium-sized school is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and it awarded 25 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

PFW also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $16,322 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Purdue University Fort Wayne.

Read more about General Engineering at Purdue University Fort Wayne

8

Youngstown State University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Youngstown, Ohio, and it awarded 7 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Youngstown State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $15,809 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about General Engineering at Youngstown State University

9

Wright State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #9. Wright State University - Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Dayton, Ohio that handed out 12 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wright State University - Main Campus, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $19,004 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Wright State University - Main Campus.

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

10

Ohio University - Athens Campus came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. OHIO Athens is a public institution located in Athens, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 152 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering students whose families make $75-$110k list, OHIO Athens has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend OHIO Athens is $26,039 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on General Engineering at OHIO Athens

11

Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $21,575 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, 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 more about General Engineering at Ohio State

12

University of Akron Main Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Akron, Ohio. It awarded 9 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Akron Main Campus did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $20,778 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Akron Main Campus.

Read more about General Engineering at University of Akron Main Campus

13

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 88 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

UWM also took the #14 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UWM is $20,785 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on General Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

14
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 103 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $25,297 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Michigan State University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Engineering at Michigan State

15

University of Southern Indiana came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. USI is a medium-sized school located in Evansville, Indiana that handed out 28 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering students whose families make $75-$110k list, USI has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern Indiana is $17,626 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Engineering at University of Southern Indiana

16
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Central Michigan is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Central Michigan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan is $18,135 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Full Central Michigan University General Engineering Report

17

Milwaukee School of Engineering ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Milwaukee School of Engineering is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 8 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering students whose families make $75-$110k list, MSOE has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for MSOE is $23,240 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

18

Purdue University Northwest landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Hammond, Indiana, and it awarded 5 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $16,690 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Purdue University Northwest.

Read more about General Engineering at Purdue University Northwest

19

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #19. 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.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $19,839 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Read more about General Engineering at UIC

20

Case Western Reserve University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This fairly large school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 13 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering students whose families make $75-$110k list, Case Western has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Case Western is $29,971 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.

Read full report on General Engineering at Case Western

21
Olivet Nazarene crest
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This small school is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, and it awarded 48 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering students whose families make $75-$110k list, Olivet Nazarene has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $21,860 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $75-$110k 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%.

Read full report on General Engineering at Olivet Nazarene University

22

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #22. SIUC is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 7 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering students whose families make $75-$110k list, SIUC has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $18,841 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full SIUC General Engineering Report

23
Calvin crest
Calvin University
Grand Rapids, Michigan

With a ranking of #23, Calvin University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This small school is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and it awarded 85 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Calvin, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Calvin is $24,891 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Full Calvin General Engineering Report

24
Hope crest
Hope College
Holland, Michigan

Hope College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Hope 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 $75-$110k 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 is $24,947 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.

Read more about General Engineering at Hope

25

Cleveland State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 8 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

Cleveland State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $21,036 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Cleveland State University.

Read full report on General Engineering at Cleveland State University

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