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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Mechanical Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

56 Ranked Colleges
6,416 Degrees Awarded
$15,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 47,598 people earned their degree in general mechanical engineering, making the major the 12th most popular in the United States.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 8,300 general mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 6,416 general mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 56 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.

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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” 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. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Mechanical Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

#1

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin
#16 in overall quality

Out of the 56 schools in the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Stout landed the #1 spot on the list. UW - Stout is a medium-sized school located in Menomonie, Wisconsin that handed out 56 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Stout did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,839 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#2

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#19 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Platteville is located in Platteville, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 190 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students list, UW - Platteville has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,718 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students per year to attend UW - Platteville.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

#3

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University Northwest. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Hammond, Indiana, this medium-sized public school awarded 62 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general mechanical engineering students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,250 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students per year to attend Purdue University Northwest.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University Northwest

Out of the 56 schools in the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #4 spot on the list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 82 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#5

Lake Superior State University

Sault Ste Marie, Michigan

Out of the 56 schools in the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Lake Superior State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Sault Ste Marie, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Lake Superior State University is $12,398 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Lake Superior State University

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 123 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $18,259 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at NIU

#7

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 79 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general mechanical engineering students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Western Michigan University is $19,433 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students.

Full Western Michigan University General Mechanical Engineering Report

#8

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Allendale, Michigan, and it awarded 50 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $17,646 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students.

The low 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%.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at GVSU

#9

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 376 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,986 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Purdue General Mechanical Engineering Report

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 56 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students.

Full SIUC General Mechanical Engineering Report

#11

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio

Youngstown State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #11. This fairly large school is located in Youngstown, Ohio, and it awarded 58 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,947 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students per year to attend Youngstown State University.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Youngstown State University

#12

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #12. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend WIU is $16,210 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Western Illinois University

#13

University of Toledo

Toledo, Ohio

With a ranking of #13, University of Toledo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Toledo is a public institution located in Toledo, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 195 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Toledo is $17,630 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at University of Toledo

Wright State University - Lake Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Wright State University - Lake Campus is a small school located in Celina, Ohio that handed out 21 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Wright State University - Lake Campus is $12,099 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Wright State University - Lake Campus

#15

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan
#22 in overall quality

Oakland University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and it awarded 182 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Oakland did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Oakland is $11,802 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Oakland

#16

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UWM is a large school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 115 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is $17,876 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at UWM

University of Akron Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. Akron, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 197 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $17,792 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students.

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

#18

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Evansville, Indiana, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Southern Indiana is $13,437 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full USI General Mechanical Engineering Report

With a ranking of #19, Wright State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Wright State University - Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Dayton, Ohio that handed out 124 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,823 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students per year to attend Wright State University - Main Campus.

Full Wright State University - Main Campus General Mechanical Engineering Report

University of Michigan - Dearborn ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Dearborn, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 157 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,473 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students per year to attend University of Michigan - Dearborn.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 UM Dearborn General Mechanical Engineering Report

#21

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

With a ranking of #21, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Central Michigan is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 48 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,981 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students per year to attend Central Michigan University.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Central Michigan

#22

Baker College

Owosso, Michigan

With a ranking of #22, Baker College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Owosso, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Baker College is $15,049 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Baker College General Mechanical Engineering Report

#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UC is a large public school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 238 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $21,843 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at UC

#24

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan

Saginaw Valley State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Saginaw Valley State University is located in University Center, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 59 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $14,248 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students per year to attend Saginaw Valley State University.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Saginaw Valley State University

#25

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Cleveland State University is a public institution located in Cleveland, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 118 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cleveland State University is $17,278 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students.

Full Cleveland State University General Mechanical Engineering Report

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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