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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Mechanical Engineering in the Plains States Region

24 Ranked Colleges
2,820 Degrees Awarded
$18,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.

General Mechanical Engineering is the 12th most popular major in the country with 47,598 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across the Plains States region, there were 3,206 general mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,820 general mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking looked at 24 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 Plains States 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 Plains States Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region.

Top 24 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Mechanical Engineering in the Plains States Region

#1

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota
#13 in overall quality

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, South Dakota State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Brookings, South Dakota, this fairly large public school handed out 94 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general mechanical engineering students in 2019-2020.

South Dakota State also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $19,252 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students per year to attend South Dakota State.

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%.

Full South Dakota State General Mechanical Engineering Report

#9 in overall quality

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, North Dakota State University - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. North Dakota State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Fargo, North Dakota. It awarded 140 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students list, North Dakota State University has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,584 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students per year to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at North Dakota State University - Main Campus

#16 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. This small school is located in Rapid City, South Dakota, and it awarded 99 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

SD Mines not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $19,815 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students per year to attend SD Mines.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

#4

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota
#12 in overall quality

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Dakota landed the #4 spot on the list. University of North Dakota is a public institution located in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 104 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UND not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Dakota is $15,738 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at University of North Dakota

#10 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. This fairly large school is located in Duluth, Minnesota, and it awarded 125 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Duluth, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,067 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students per year to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.

Full University of Minnesota - Duluth General Mechanical Engineering Report

#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Iowa State is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 429 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $15,496 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students per year to attend Iowa State.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Iowa State University

#7

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#20 in overall quality

Saint Cloud State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Saint Cloud State University is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 42 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students list, St. Cloud State University has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Cloud State University is $14,267 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Saint Cloud State University

#18 in overall quality

Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #8. Minnesota State Mankato is located in Mankato, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 39 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.

Minnesota State Mankato also took the #18 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,221 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students per year to attend Minnesota State Mankato.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Minnesota State University - Mankato

#9

Dunwoody College of Technology

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#15 in overall quality

Dunwoody College of Technology ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. This small school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Dunwoody College of Technology did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Dunwoody College of Technology is $24,488 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Dunwoody College of Technology

#10

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas
#8 in overall quality

Kansas State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. K -State is a large school located in Manhattan, Kansas that handed out 216 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

K -State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for K -State is $18,285 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at K -State

#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Missouri University of Science and Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a medium-sized school located in Rolla, Missouri that handed out 279 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students list, Missouri University of Science and Technology has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology is $14,262 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology

#5 in overall quality

University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #12. UNL is a large public school situated in Lincoln, Nebraska. It awarded 147 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UNL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $17,208 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students per year to attend UNL.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UNL General Mechanical Engineering Report

#13

Wichita State University

Wichita, Kansas
#23 in overall quality

Wichita State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #13. WSU is a fairly large school located in Wichita, Kansas that handed out 96 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students list, WSU has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,382 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students per year to attend Wichita State University.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at WSU

#6 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Mizzou is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 166 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.

Mizzou also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Columbia is $16,001 for plains states 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 89%. The low student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of Missouri - Columbia General Mechanical Engineering Report

#15

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, University of Kansas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. KU is a large public school situated in Lawrence, Kansas. It awarded 118 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at KU, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $18,918 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students per year to attend KU.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at University of Kansas

#16

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#4 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 205 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $17,740 for Plains States 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities General Mechanical Engineering Report

#17

University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri
#22 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Kansas City, Missouri, this fairly large public school awarded 52 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general mechanical engineering students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMKC, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,643 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students per year to attend University of Missouri - Kansas City.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at UMKC

#18

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. University of Iowa is a large public school situated in Iowa City, Iowa. It awarded 120 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Iowa is $19,145 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at University of Iowa

#19

Dordt University

Sioux Center, Iowa
#19 in overall quality

Dordt University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Dordt University is located in Sioux Center, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.

Dordt also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $25,102 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students per year to attend Dordt.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Dordt University

#20

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#24 in overall quality

University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #20. UMSL is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 39 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMSL, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - St Louis is $9,435 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at University of Missouri - St Louis

#21

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, Iowa
#21 in overall quality

Saint Ambrose University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. St. Ambrose University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Davenport, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Ambrose University also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $26,204 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students per year to attend St. Ambrose University.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at St. Ambrose University

#22

University of St Thomas Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#7 in overall quality

University of St Thomas Minnesota landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. University of St Thomas Minnesota is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 102 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UST MN also took the #7 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $29,155 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students per year to attend University of St Thomas Minnesota.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at University of St Thomas Minnesota

#23

Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, Missouri
#14 in overall quality

Saint Louis University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. SLU is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 26 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

SLU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Louis University is $28,188 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at SLU

#24

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#1 in overall quality

Washington University in St Louis came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 104 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WUSTL, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WUSTL is $26,869 for Plains States 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 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The 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.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at WUSTL

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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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