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2023 Best Value Colleges for General Mechanical Engineering in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

54 Ranked Colleges
7,978 Degrees Awarded
$15,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

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 Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 54 colleges that offered a degree in general mechanical engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general mechanical engineering programs, but they also 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Mechanical Engineering in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

1
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 582 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,377 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students with aid.

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%. 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 Purdue University - Main Campus

2

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 Getting Aid. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 462 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $14,878 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students with aid.

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 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%.

Full U-M General Mechanical Engineering Report

3

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 #3 for the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 300 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $14,321 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 268 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $17,234 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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 UW - Madison

5

Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Dearborn landed the #5 spot on the list. Dearborn, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 183 students in 2020-2021.

UM Dearborn also took the #19 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Dearborn is $12,855 for great lakes region 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%.

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

6
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

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 Getting Aid list. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 308 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan State also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $19,058 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students with aid per year to attend Michigan State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Michigan State University

7

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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 IUPUI is $12,416 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full IUPUI General Mechanical Engineering Report

8

Michigan Technological University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Michigan Tech is a medium-sized public school situated in Houghton, Michigan. It awarded 429 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan Tech also took the #9 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,384 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students with aid per year to attend Michigan Technological University.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Michigan Technological University General Mechanical Engineering Report

9
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Rochester Hills, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 222 students in 2020-2021.

Oakland also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $13,449 for great lakes region 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 full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Oakland University

10

University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UIC is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 222 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,214 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.

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%.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at UIC

11

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Ohio State is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 325 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Ohio State also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $16,845 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students with aid.

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 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Ohio State

12

Purdue University Northwest came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Purdue University Northwest is a medium-sized public school situated in Hammond, Indiana. It awarded 66 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Purdue Northwest is $11,384 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students with aid.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Purdue Northwest

13
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 142 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $23,279 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students with aid.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern University

14
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Wayne State University is a large school located in Detroit, Michigan that handed out 163 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Wayne State is $13,962 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students with aid.

Full Wayne State University General Mechanical Engineering Report

15

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 331 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

UC also took the #15 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC is $22,415 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at UC

16

University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Platteville, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 198 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $14,565 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students with aid.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

17
UW - Stout crest
University of Wisconsin - Stout
Menomonie, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stout ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 71 degrees to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Stout is $15,589 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Stout General Mechanical Engineering Report

18
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan 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 Getting Aid ranking. WMU is a fairly large public school situated in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It awarded 103 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

WMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $20,371 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students with aid per year to attend WMU.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Western Michigan University

19

University of Akron Main Campus ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Akron, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 215 students in 2020-2021.

University of Akron Main Campus did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $17,945 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students with aid per year to attend University of Akron Main Campus.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at University of Akron Main Campus

20

Youngstown State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Youngstown, Ohio, and it awarded 72 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $12,225 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students with aid.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Youngstown State University

21

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 96 degrees to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is $17,486 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students with aid.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at UWM

22
University of Toledo crest
University of Toledo
Toledo, Ohio

University of Toledo landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Toledo is a fairly large public school situated in Toledo, Ohio. It awarded 193 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Toledo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Toledo is $17,312 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students with aid.

Full University of Toledo General Mechanical Engineering Report

23

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 72 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,462 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students with aid.

Full SIUE General Mechanical Engineering Report

24

With a ranking of #24, Wright State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Dayton, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 120 degrees to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Wright State University - Main Campus is $15,962 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students with aid.

Full Wright State University - Main Campus General Mechanical Engineering Report

25

University of Michigan - Flint landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UM Flint is a medium-sized public school situated in Flint, Michigan. It awarded 33 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,689 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students with aid per year to attend University of Michigan - Flint.

Full UM Flint General Mechanical Engineering Report

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