2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid
26
Ranked Colleges
1,712
Degrees Awarded
$17,800
Avg Net Price*
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 Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” 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.
This year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 26 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.
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.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. 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 Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region engineering students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Engineering in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 64 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,234 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students with aid.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read full report on General Engineering at UW - Madison
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 Getting Aid. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 96 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Purdue also took the #2 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,377 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students with aid per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Engineering at Purdue University - Main Campus
Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,321 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students with aid per year to attend UIUC.
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%.
Read full report on General Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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 Getting Aid list. UW - Platteville is a medium-sized public school situated in Platteville, Wisconsin. It awarded 47 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Platteville, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $14,565 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students with aid.
Read more about General Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Platteville
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Michigan State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Michigan State is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 103 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $19,058 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Michigan State General Engineering Report
With a ranking of #6, Purdue University Fort Wayne did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and it awarded 25 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
PFW did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend PFW is $11,629 for great lakes region engineering students with aid.
Full PFW General Engineering Report
Grand Valley State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. GVSU is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 16 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
GVSU also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $17,356 for great lakes region engineering students with aid per year to attend GVSU.
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 Grand Valley State University
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 88 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering students with aid 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 $17,486 for great lakes region engineering students with aid.
Read full report on General Engineering at UWM
University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 9 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $13,214 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 University of Illinois at Chicago
Youngstown State University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Youngstown State University is located in Youngstown, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Youngstown State University, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $12,225 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students with aid.
Full Youngstown State University General Engineering Report
Wright State University - Main Campus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Wright State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Dayton, Ohio. It awarded 12 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Wright State University - Main Campus not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wright State University - Main Campus is $15,962 for great lakes region engineering students with aid.
Read more about General Engineering at Wright State University - Main Campus
Ohio University - Athens Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ohio University - Athens Campus is located in Athens, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 152 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
OHIO Athens not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $23,831 for great lakes region engineering students with aid per year to attend OHIO Athens.
Read full report on General Engineering at Ohio University - Athens Campus
Purdue University Northwest landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Purdue University Northwest is a public institution located in Hammond, Indiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $11,384 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students with aid per year to attend Purdue University Northwest.
Read full report on General Engineering at Purdue Northwest
University of Southern Indiana did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. University of Southern Indiana is a medium-sized school located in Evansville, Indiana that handed out 28 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
USI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for USI is $13,481 for great lakes region engineering students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.
Full University of Southern Indiana General Engineering Report
University of Akron Main Campus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $17,945 for great lakes region engineering students with aid.
Read more about General Engineering at University of Akron Main Campus
Northwestern University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 6 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering students with aid list, Northwestern has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $23,279 for great lakes region engineering students with aid per year to attend Northwestern University.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%.
Read more about General Engineering at Northwestern
Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. Ohio State University - Main Campus 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,845 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students with aid per year to attend Ohio State.
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 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Engineering at Ohio State University - Main Campus
Central Michigan University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 9 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
Central Michigan also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan University is $16,007 for great lakes region engineering students with aid.
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%.
Read more about General Engineering at Central Michigan University
With a ranking of #19, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 7 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering students with aid list, SIUC has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,285 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students with aid per year to attend SIUC.
Read full report on General Engineering at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Cleveland State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Cleveland State University is a public institution located in Cleveland, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cleveland State University also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for Cleveland State University is $16,943 for great lakes region engineering students with aid.
Full Cleveland State University General Engineering Report
Miami University - Oxford ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Oxford, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.
Miami University - Oxford also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend Miami University - Oxford is $24,756 for great lakes region engineering students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Engineering at Miami University - Oxford
Olivet Nazarene University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Olivet Nazarene is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bourbonnais, Illinois. It awarded 48 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Olivet Nazarene also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $19,470 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students with aid per year to attend Olivet Nazarene 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%.
Read more about General Engineering at Olivet Nazarene University
With a ranking of #23, Milwaukee School of Engineering did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Milwaukee School of Engineering is a small school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 8 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
MSOE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Milwaukee School of Engineering is $24,428 for great lakes region engineering students with aid.
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
Calvin University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Calvin is a small school located in Grand Rapids, Michigan that handed out 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 $26,082 for great lakes region engineering students with aid per year to attend Calvin.
The low undergrad 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 Calvin University
Hope College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. Hope College is a small school located in Holland, Michigan that handed out 53 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Hope not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Hope College is $26,944 for great lakes region engineering students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Hope General Engineering Report
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