2023 Best Value Colleges for General Materials Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
14
Ranked Colleges
740
Degrees Awarded
$9,300
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.
General Materials Engineering is the 199th most popular major in the country with 3,415 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 740 general materials engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 14 colleges that offer a degree in general materials engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general materials 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 materials engineering program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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 Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. 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 Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 14 Best Value Colleges for General Materials Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 82 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $245 for Great Lakes Region Materials Processing and Manufacturing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read full report on General Materials Engineering at Northwestern
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 119 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $0-$30k list, U-M has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $2,670 for great lakes region materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read more about General Materials Engineering at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #3 spot on the list. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 60 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $3,981 for Great Lakes Region Materials Processing and Manufacturing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Madison.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on General Materials Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 97 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.
Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,995 for great lakes region materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 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%.
Full Purdue University - Main Campus General Materials Engineering Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 109 diplomas to qualified ’s materials processing and manufacturing students in 2020-2021.
UIUC also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $4,858 for Great Lakes Region Materials Processing and Manufacturing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, 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 full report on General Materials Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
With a ranking of #6, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 112 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.
Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $7,068 for Great Lakes Region Materials Processing and Manufacturing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State.
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%. 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 full report on General Materials Engineering at Ohio State University - Main Campus
Michigan Technological University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan Tech is a public institution located in Houghton, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 36 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan Tech also took the #9 spot in our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,520 for great lakes region materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan Tech.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Materials Engineering at Michigan Technological University
Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Michigan State is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $0-$30k list, Michigan State has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $6,927 for great lakes region materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Michigan State University General Materials Engineering Report
With a ranking of #9, Case Western Reserve University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.
Case Western also made our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $16,063 for Great Lakes Region Materials Processing and Manufacturing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Case Western Reserve University.
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 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Materials Engineering at Case Western Reserve University
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC is a large public school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 14 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.
UC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,061 for great lakes region materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, 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 Materials Engineering at UC
With a ranking of #11, Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois Institute of Technology is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $0-$30k list, Illinois Tech has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $18,515 for Great Lakes Region Materials Processing and Manufacturing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois Institute of Technology.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Materials Engineering at Illinois Tech
Wright State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Dayton, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
Wright State University - Main Campus also made our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Wright State University - Main Campus is $11,980 for Great Lakes Region Materials Processing and Manufacturing students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about General Materials Engineering at Wright State University - Main Campus
University of Dayton came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Dayton, Ohio, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified ’s materials processing and manufacturing students in 2020-2021.
UDayton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UDayton is $19,334 for Great Lakes Region Materials Processing and Manufacturing students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Dayton General Materials Engineering Report
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UWM is a public institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 ’s 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 Materials Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UWM is $11,973 for great lakes region materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about General Materials Engineering at UWM
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Notes and References
References
- 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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