2023 Best Value Colleges for General Mechanical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
54
Ranked Colleges
7,978
Degrees Awarded
$8,400
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
General Mechanical Engineering is the 14th most popular major in the country with 46,178 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 7,978 general mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 54 colleges that offered a degree in general mechanical engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general mechanical 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 mechanical engineering program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank General Mechanical Engineering Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering 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.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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 General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Mechanical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 142 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $245 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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. 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 Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 462 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $2,670 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, 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 96%.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at U-M
Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering 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 #3 spot on the list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 582 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $5,995 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Full Purdue General Mechanical Engineering Report
Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering 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 #4 spot on the list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 268 students in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $3,981 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Madison
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 General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 300 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $4,858 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
With a ranking of #6, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 308 students in 2020-2021.
Michigan State also took the #10 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $6,927 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 Mechanical Engineering at Michigan State
With a ranking of #7, Michigan Technological University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Michigan Tech is a medium-sized public school situated in Houghton, Michigan. It awarded 429 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan Tech, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan Technological University is $5,520 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Technological University
University of Notre Dame landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 135 students in 2020-2021.
Notre Dame did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Notre Dame is $9,872 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, 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 97%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Notre Dame
Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school awarded 325 degrees to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.
Ohio State also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $7,068 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 Mechanical Engineering at Ohio State
University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Dearborn, Michigan, this medium-sized public school awarded 183 degrees to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.
UM Dearborn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UM Dearborn is $9,113 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Michigan - Dearborn General Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #11, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 235 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $7,026 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis
Oakland University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and it awarded 222 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Oakland also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $8,949 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oakland University.
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%.
Full Oakland University General Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #13, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 222 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $10,549 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Illinois at Chicago General Mechanical Engineering Report
Purdue University Northwest landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Hammond, Indiana, this medium-sized public school handed out 66 degrees to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Purdue University Northwest is $6,775 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Purdue Northwest
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 72 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,047 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SIUE.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at SIUE
University of Wisconsin - Stout came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Stout is a public institution located in Menomonie, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 71 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $10,074 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Stout
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a public institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 331 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UC also took the #15 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $15,061 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
Wayne State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wayne State University is located in Detroit, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 163 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Wayne State is $11,060 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Wayne State University General Mechanical Engineering Report
Case Western Reserve University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 125 students in 2020-2021.
Case Western also took the #8 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Case Western is $16,063 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Case Western
Miami University - Oxford did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large public school situated in Oxford, Ohio. It awarded 113 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Miami University - Oxford also took the #17 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,956 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Miami University - Oxford.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Full Miami University - Oxford General Mechanical Engineering Report
Western Michigan University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Kalamazoo, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 103 students in 2020-2021.
WMU also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend Western Michigan University is $13,112 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at WMU
University of Wisconsin - Platteville came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Platteville, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 198 diplomas to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - Platteville is $8,887 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full UW - Platteville General Mechanical Engineering Report
Lake Superior State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lake Superior State University is a small public school situated in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan. It awarded 10 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Lake Superior State University is $7,159 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Lake Superior State University
Grand Valley State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. GVSU is a large school located in Allendale, Michigan that handed out 70 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Grand Valley State University is $10,259 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 Mechanical Engineering Report
University of Michigan - Flint landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Flint, Michigan, this medium-sized public school awarded 33 degrees to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Flint is $7,797 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at UM Flint
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