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2023 Best Value Colleges for General Mechanical Engineering (With Aid)

312 Ranked Colleges
46,178 Degrees Awarded
$12,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

General Mechanical Engineering is the 14th most popular major in the country with 46,178 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

This year’s “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 312 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general mechanical engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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The general mechanical engineering school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Mechanical Engineering (With Aid)

1
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

Out of the 312 schools in the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #1 spot on the list. 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UF, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $5,135 for general mechanical engineering students with aid.

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 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 University of Florida General Mechanical Engineering Report

2
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 253 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $12,894 for general mechanical engineering students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Stanford General Mechanical Engineering Report

3
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Out of the 312 schools in the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 582 degrees to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.

Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $13,377 for general mechanical engineering students with aid per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Purdue General Mechanical Engineering Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 259 students in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle 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 yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $12,017 for general mechanical engineering students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at UW Seattle

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a fairly large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 291 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general mechanical engineering students with aid list, MIT has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology is $16,407 for General Mechanical Engineering students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 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

6

The City College of New York landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. The City College of New York is a fairly large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 161 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CCNY is $2,805 for general mechanical engineering students with aid.

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 The City College of New York

7

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 462 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $14,878 for general mechanical engineering students with aid.

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 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

8

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 252 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $15,023 for General Mechanical Engineering students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%.

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

9

With a ranking of #9, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Georgia Tech is a large public school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 794 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Georgia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $14,974 for General Mechanical Engineering students with aid per year to attend Georgia Tech.

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%. 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 Tech

10

The University of Texas at Austin landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. UT Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 359 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Austin is $18,350 for General Mechanical Engineering students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 full report on General Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin

11

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. 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 ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $14,321 for General Mechanical Engineering students with aid per year to attend UIUC.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 full report on General Mechanical Engineering at UIUC

12

University of California - San Diego ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 379 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UCSD is in the top on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $15,240 for general mechanical engineering students with aid per year to attend UCSD.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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 UCSD General Mechanical Engineering Report

13

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 268 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $17,234 for General Mechanical Engineering students with aid.

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 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%.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at UW - Madison

14

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 173 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $3,302 for General Mechanical Engineering students with aid.

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 California State University - Los Angeles

15

University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 503 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,618 for General Mechanical Engineering students with aid per year to attend UCF.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, 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 UCF

16

University of California - Davis came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. 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 $15,768 for General Mechanical Engineering students with aid per year to attend UC Davis.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Davis

17

The University of Texas at Dallas ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Richardson, Texas, this large public school awarded 293 diplomas to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Dallas is $15,526 for general mechanical engineering students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% 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 The University of Texas at Dallas General Mechanical Engineering Report

18
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. North Carolina State University is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 402 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.

NC State also claimed a top spot 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 estimated yearly cost for North Carolina State University is $16,411 for General Mechanical Engineering students with aid.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 North Carolina State University

19

University of California - Berkeley landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 320 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general mechanical engineering students with aid list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $16,032 for general mechanical engineering students with aid.

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 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Berkeley General Mechanical Engineering Report

20

With a ranking of #20, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Edinburg, Texas, and it awarded 153 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $3,743 for General Mechanical Engineering students with aid.

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%.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at UT Rio Grande Valley

21

With a ranking of #21, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid list. USF Tampa is a public institution located in Tampa, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 243 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of South Florida - Main Campus is $8,346 for General Mechanical Engineering students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at University of South Florida - Main Campus

22

Missouri University of Science and Technology landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Rolla, Missouri, this medium-sized public school awarded 272 diplomas to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Missouri University of Science and Technology also did well on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri University of Science and Technology is $12,964 for General Mechanical Engineering students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Missouri University of Science and Technology General Mechanical Engineering Report

23

Florida International University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. FIU is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 174 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida International University is $5,298 for General Mechanical Engineering students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, 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 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Florida International University General Mechanical Engineering Report

24

University of Michigan - Dearborn ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Dearborn, Michigan, and it awarded 183 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,855 for general mechanical engineering students with aid per year to attend UM Dearborn.

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 full report on General Mechanical Engineering at University of Michigan - Dearborn

25

California State University - Northridge landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 234 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $8,523 for general mechanical engineering students with aid.

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 California State University - Northridge General Mechanical Engineering Report

Rest of the Best 48 in Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 48 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
28
NC A&T crest
North Carolina A & T State University
Greensboro, North Carolina
29
30
31
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
32
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
33
34
35
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey
36
37
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
38
39
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas
40
41
42
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
42
42
45
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
46
47
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas
47
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Notes and References

References

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