2027 Best Value Industrial Engineering Schools in Michigan
[Industrial Engineering](/majors/engineering/ie-industrial-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for industrial engineering students.
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2027 Best Value Industrial Engineering Schools in Michigan
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the industrial engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Industrial Engineering Schools
Oakland University earned the #1 spot for value among industrial engineering schools in Michigan. Set in the suburb of Rochester Hills, Oakland University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $17,167 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $24,735. Students borrow a median of $29,750 to complete the industrial engineering program here. Soon after graduation, industrial engineering degree recipients from Oakland University generally make around $77,169. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Michigan Dearborn is a great value for students pursuing a degree in industrial engineering, landing the #2 spot this year. University Of Michigan Dearborn is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Dearborn. Students from in state pay about $15,640 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $32,896. Students borrow a median of $26,516 to complete the industrial engineering program here. Soon after graduation, industrial engineering degree recipients from University Of Michigan Dearborn generally make around $62,536. That is a strong return on a $26,516 median debt. The acceptance rate is 56%.
Students looking for strong value in industrial engineering will find it at Wayne State University, which ranked #3. Wayne State University is a very large public school located in the city of Detroit. Students from in state pay about $16,159 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $34,650. Typical student debt for industrial engineering graduates is $24,340. Industrial Engineering graduates of Wayne State University earn a median of $77,815 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,340 median debt. The acceptance rate is 81%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Michigan Ann Arbor earned it the #4 place for industrial engineering. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public school located in the city of Ann Arbor. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,848, while out-of-state students pay about $63,081. Students borrow a median of $20,306 to complete the industrial engineering program here. Industrial Engineering graduates of University Of Michigan Ann Arbor earn a median of $93,464 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $20,306 median debt. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor admits about 16% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Western Michigan University earned it the #5 place for industrial engineering. Located in the city of Kalamazoo, Western Michigan University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,987, while out-of-state students pay about $19,952. Students borrow a median of $27,981 to complete the industrial engineering program here. Industrial Engineering graduates of Western Michigan University earn a median of $74,670 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
Lawrence Technological University ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value industrial engineering schools. Located in the city of Southfield, Lawrence Technological University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $44,760. Industrial Engineering graduates carry a median of $27,799 in student loans. Industrial Engineering graduates of Lawrence Technological University earn a median of $74,924 early in their careers. Set against $27,799 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 56%.
Kettering University came in at #7 for value in industrial engineering this year. Set in the city of Flint, Kettering University is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $46,425. Industrial Engineering graduates carry a median of $28,913 in student loans. Industrial Engineering graduates of Kettering University earn a median of $85,105 early in their careers. Set against $28,913 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 79%.
More Industrial Engineering Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
