2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k
22
Ranked Colleges
2,950
Degrees Awarded
$12,700
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
General Mechanical Engineering is the 14th most popular major in the country with 46,178 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across the Plains States region, there were 2,950 general mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 22 colleges that offer a degree in general mechanical engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general mechanical engineering programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general mechanical engineering program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank General Mechanical Engineering Schools
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 22 Best Value Colleges for General Mechanical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington University in St Louis. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Washington University in St Louis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 156 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WUSTL, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $1,556 for plains states region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Washington University in St Louis.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 94%.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Washington University in St Louis
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #2 spot on the list. UMN Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 285 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.
UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $7,698 for plains states region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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 UMN Twin Cities General Mechanical Engineering Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Missouri University of Science and Technology. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a public institution located in Rolla, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 272 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Missouri University of Science and Technology has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $7,356 for plains states region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school handed out 451 degrees to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Iowa State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $9,766 for Plains States Region General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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 Iowa State General Mechanical Engineering Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - Columbia. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Mizzou is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 168 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Mizzou also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Columbia is $11,005 for plains states 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at University of Missouri - Columbia
University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. University of Minnesota - Duluth is a medium-sized school located in Duluth, Minnesota that handed out 121 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UMN Duluth also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth is $7,843 for plains states 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%.
Full UMN Duluth General Mechanical Engineering Report
North Dakota State University - Main Campus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. North Dakota State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Fargo, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 170 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
North Dakota State University also took the #8 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $11,835 for Plains States Region General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus.
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%.
Full North Dakota State University General Mechanical Engineering Report
University of Iowa did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 121 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Iowa has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Iowa is $13,554 for plains states region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 Iowa
University of Nebraska - Lincoln came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is a public institution located in Lincoln, Nebraska. The school has a large population, and it awarded 151 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UNL also took the #7 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $11,672 for Plains States Region General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNL.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Nebraska - Lincoln General Mechanical Engineering Report
University of North Dakota landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of North Dakota is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 112 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our plains states region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, UND has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UND is $12,394 for plains states region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at UND
Kansas State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Kansas State University is a large school located in Manhattan, Kansas that handed out 182 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
K -State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend K -State is $13,436 for plains states region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Kansas State University
University of Kansas did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. KU is a large school located in Lawrence, Kansas that handed out 140 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at KU, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend KU is $15,666 for Plains States 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at University of Kansas
Wichita State University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wichita State University is a fairly large public school situated in Wichita, Kansas. It awarded 102 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
WSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for WSU is $11,687 for Plains States Region General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Wichita State University
University of Missouri - Kansas City came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Kansas City, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 79 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMKC has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,724 for plains states region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMKC.
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%.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at UMKC
University of Missouri - St Louis ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.
UMSL also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for UMSL is $9,991 for plains states region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at University of Missouri - St Louis
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Rapid City, South Dakota, and it awarded 64 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, SD Mines has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is $16,705 for Plains States Region General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 South Dakota School of Mines and Technology General Mechanical Engineering Report
South Dakota State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Brookings, South Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 80 students in 2020-2021.
South Dakota State also took the #15 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for South Dakota State is $14,171 for Plains States Region General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 full report on General Mechanical Engineering at South Dakota State University
Saint Cloud State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Saint Cloud, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 36 students in 2020-2021.
St. Cloud State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $10,348 for plains states region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend St. Cloud State University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 St. Cloud State University General Mechanical Engineering Report
Minnesota State University - Mankato landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Mankato, Minnesota, and it awarded 31 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Minnesota State Mankato also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $11,692 for Plains States Region General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Minnesota State Mankato.
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%.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Minnesota State University - Mankato
Saint Louis University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 22 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SLU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,136 for plains states region general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SLU.
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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Saint Louis University
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