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2023 Best Value Colleges for General Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

26 Ranked Colleges
1,712 Degrees Awarded
$18,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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” ranking - to help you make that 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 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” ranking looked at 26 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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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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”.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region engineering students.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

1

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 list. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. 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. It costs about $17,234 for great lakes region engineering students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Read full report on General Engineering at UW - Madison

2

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Platteville landed the #2 spot on the 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $14,565 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students.

Read full report on General Engineering at UW - Platteville

3

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Akron Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Akron Main Campus is a public institution located in Akron, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Akron Main Campus also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $17,945 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students per year to attend University of Akron Main Campus.

Read full report on General Engineering at University of Akron Main Campus

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grand Valley State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Grand Valley State University is a large school located in Allendale, Michigan that handed out 16 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering students list, GVSU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $17,356 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students.

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

5

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. Ohio University - Athens Campus is a large public school situated in Athens, Ohio. It awarded 152 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

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 per year to attend OHIO Athens.

Full OHIO Athens General Engineering Report

6
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 96 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering students list, Purdue has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,377 for great lakes region engineering students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus General Engineering Report

7

Youngstown State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. Youngstown State University is a fairly large public school situated in Youngstown, Ohio. It awarded 7 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Youngstown State University also took the #22 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,225 for great lakes region engineering students per year to attend Youngstown State University.

Read full report on General Engineering at Youngstown State University

8
PFW crest
Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. PFW is a medium-sized school located in Fort Wayne, Indiana that handed out 25 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering students list, PFW has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend PFW is $11,629 for great lakes region engineering students.

Read more about General Engineering at Purdue University Fort Wayne

9

With a ranking of #9, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

UIUC also took 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 per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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

Full UIUC General Engineering Report

10

Purdue University Northwest did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #10. Purdue University 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 yearly cost to attend Purdue Northwest is $11,384 for great lakes region engineering students.

Read more about General Engineering at Purdue Northwest

11
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

With a ranking of #11, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Mount Pleasant, Michigan 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.

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 estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan University is $16,007 for great lakes region engineering students.

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

12

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #12. UWM is a large school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 88 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UWM, the school also landed the #14 spot 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.

Read more about General Engineering at UWM

13

With a ranking of #13, Milwaukee School of Engineering did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region 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.

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 MSOE is $24,428 for great lakes region engineering students.

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 more about General Engineering at MSOE

14

Wright State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. Wright State University - Main Campus is located in Dayton, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Wright State University - Main Campus also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for Wright State University - Main Campus is $15,962 for great lakes region engineering students.

Read more about General Engineering at Wright State University - Main Campus

15

With a ranking of #15, University of Southern Indiana did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Southern Indiana is a public institution located in Evansville, Indiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 28 ’s 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. It costs about $13,481 for great lakes region engineering students per year to attend University of Southern Indiana.

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 USI General Engineering Report

16

With a ranking of #16, Cleveland State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

Cleveland State University also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend Cleveland State University is $16,943 for great lakes region engineering students.

Read full report on General Engineering at Cleveland State University

17

With a ranking of #17, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,214 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.

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

18
Calvin crest
Calvin University
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Calvin University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Calvin University is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 85 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Calvin also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $26,082 for great lakes region engineering students per year to attend Calvin.

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 full report on General Engineering at Calvin

19
Hope crest
Hope College
Holland, Michigan

Hope College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #19. This small school is located in Holland, Michigan, and it awarded 53 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Hope also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Hope College is $26,944 for great lakes region engineering students.

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.

Full Hope College General Engineering Report

20
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school handed out 103 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

Michigan State also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $19,058 for great lakes region engineering students per year to attend Michigan State University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.

Full Michigan State University General Engineering Report

21

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 7 students 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. The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $16,285 for great lakes region engineering students.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale General Engineering Report

22
Olivet Nazarene crest
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Olivet Nazarene University is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 48 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Olivet Nazarene not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene is $19,470 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students.

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

23

With a ranking of #23, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 26 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

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. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $16,845 for great lakes region engineering students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Engineering at Ohio State

24

Miami University - Oxford ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Oxford, Ohio, and it awarded 12 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Miami University - Oxford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Miami University - Oxford is $24,756 for great lakes region engineering students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Engineering at Miami University - Oxford

25

Case Western Reserve University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Case Western Reserve University is located in Cleveland, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Case Western not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $34,214 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students per year to attend Case Western.

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

Read more about General Engineering at Case Western

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