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2023 Best Value Colleges for General Mechanical Engineering (Income $48-$75k)

312 Ranked Colleges
46,178 Degrees Awarded
Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 46,178 people earned their degree in general mechanical engineering, making the major the 14th most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 312 colleges that offered 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 For Those Making $48-$75k” 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 General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Mechanical Engineering (Income $48-$75k)

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Stanford is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 253 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $7,081 for General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Stanford.

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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Stanford

2

Out of the 312 schools in the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. MIT is a fairly large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 291 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MIT, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Massachusetts Institute of Technology is $2,834 for General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

3
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Durham, North Carolina, and it awarded 141 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Duke, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Duke University is $7,160 for General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Duke University

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia University in the City of New York. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 205 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia University in the City of New York is $8,106 for General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Columbia University in the City of New York

5
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 142 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $5,849 for general mechanical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northwestern University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern

6
Olin College crest
Olin College
Needham, Massachusetts

Olin College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. Olin College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Needham, Massachusetts. It awarded 21 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Olin College also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $14,300 for General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Olin College.

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.

Full Olin College General Mechanical Engineering Report

7
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 11 degrees to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Harvard also did well on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Harvard University is $2,669 for General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 more about General Mechanical Engineering at Harvard University

8
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

With a ranking of #8, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Johns Hopkins University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 191 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Johns Hopkins also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $8,457 for General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Johns Hopkins University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Johns Hopkins General Mechanical Engineering Report

9
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Houston, Texas, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 77 diplomas to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.

Rice did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Rice is $6,152 for general mechanical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Rice University

10

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. U-M 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $10,481 for General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at U-M

11
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Princeton, New Jersey, and it awarded 69 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Princeton also did well on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $5,542 for General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Princeton.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Princeton

12
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

With a ranking of #12, Vanderbilt University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 66 degrees to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt also took the #20 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $7,694 for General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Vanderbilt University General Mechanical Engineering Report

13
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 597 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UF is $8,394 for general mechanical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at University of Florida

14
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 582 diplomas to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general mechanical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, Purdue has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,450 for General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.

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%.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University - Main Campus

15
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 214 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Cornell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell is $9,785 for General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 96%, 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%.

Full Cornell University General Mechanical Engineering Report

16
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UPenn is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 147 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $12,020 for general mechanical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full UPenn General Mechanical Engineering Report

17

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. UW Seattle is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 259 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $8,393 for general mechanical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. 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 more about General Mechanical Engineering at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

18

Washington University in St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. Washington University in St Louis is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 156 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

WUSTL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Washington University in St Louis is $8,149 for General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, 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 94%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full WUSTL General Mechanical Engineering Report

19

With a ranking of #19, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 320 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $13,423 for general mechanical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UC Berkeley General Mechanical Engineering Report

20

With a ranking of #20, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 252 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $12,644 for general mechanical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles

21

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 268 diplomas to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $10,364 for General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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 more about General Mechanical Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Madison

22

With a ranking of #22, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 794 students in 2020-2021.

Georgia Tech also took the #14 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Georgia Tech is $15,415 for general mechanical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

23

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 300 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UIUC is also in the top of our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $11,505 for general mechanical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 94%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign General Mechanical Engineering Report

24

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 285 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities excels when it comes to general mechanical engineering quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $12,911 for general mechanical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 93%.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at UMN Twin Cities

25

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 274 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UC Davis is in the top on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $14,193 for General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Davis.

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 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 more about General Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Davis

Rest of the Best 47 in Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

Not only did these schools make the top 47 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

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27
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts
28
29
30
31
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
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33
34
35
36
37
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan
38
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
39
40
41
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
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44
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina
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46
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia
47

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