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2023 Best Value Colleges for General Mechanical Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

54 Ranked Colleges
7,978 Degrees Awarded
$16,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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” 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” 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Mechanical Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Akron Main Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Akron, Ohio. It awarded 215 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Akron Main Campus also took the #24 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $17,945 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students.

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

2
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school handed out 582 diplomas to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,377 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Purdue

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is a public institution located in Platteville, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 198 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,565 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students per year to attend UW - Platteville.

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

4

Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Stout landed the #4 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, and it awarded 71 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

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

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 full report on General Mechanical Engineering at UW - Stout

5
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Michigan University landed the #5 spot on the list. WMU is a fairly large public school situated in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It awarded 103 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

WMU also took the #23 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $20,371 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students per year to attend WMU.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Western Michigan University

6

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 72 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.

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

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at SIUE

7

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. NIU is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 135 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $13,956 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at NIU

8

Purdue University Northwest landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Hammond, Indiana, and it awarded 66 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University Northwest is $11,384 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Purdue Northwest

9

Youngstown State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region 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.

Full Youngstown State University General Mechanical Engineering Report

10
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

With a ranking of #10, Oakland University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Oakland University is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 222 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oakland, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $13,449 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students.

The low undergrad 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 Oakland University General Mechanical Engineering Report

11
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Central Michigan is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 65 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $16,007 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students per year to attend Central Michigan University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Central Michigan University

12

University of Michigan - Dearborn came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Michigan - Dearborn is located in Dearborn, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 183 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UM Dearborn, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,855 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students per year to attend UM Dearborn.

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 UM Dearborn

13

Grand Valley State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Grand Valley State University is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 70 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for GVSU is $17,356 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at GVSU

14

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this large public school handed out 331 degrees to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students 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 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $22,415 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UC General Mechanical Engineering Report

15

University of Toledo ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Toledo, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 193 diplomas to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students 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. It costs about $17,312 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students per year to attend University of Toledo.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at University of Toledo

16

With a ranking of #16, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 61 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $16,285 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale General Mechanical Engineering Report

17

Michigan Technological University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Houghton, Michigan, this medium-sized public school handed out 429 degrees to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.

Michigan Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan Tech is $15,384 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Michigan Technological University General Mechanical Engineering Report

18

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 268 degrees to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $17,234 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at UW - Madison

19

With a ranking of #19, Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Athens, Ohio, this large public school handed out 84 diplomas to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus is $23,831 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students.

Full OHIO Athens General Mechanical Engineering Report

20

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UWM is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 96 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $17,486 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.

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

21

Wright State University - Main Campus came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Wright State University - Main Campus is located in Dayton, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 120 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Wright State University - Main Campus is $15,962 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students.

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

22

Cleveland State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 139 degrees to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $16,943 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students per year to attend Cleveland State University.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Cleveland State University

23
Lake Superior State University crest
Lake Superior State University
Sault Ste Marie, Michigan

Lake Superior State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, this small public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Lake Superior State University is $13,668 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Lake Superior State University

24

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 300 diplomas to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region general mechanical engineering students list, UIUC has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,321 for Great Lakes Region General Mechanical Engineering students per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

25

Lawrence Technological University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Southfield, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 103 degrees to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.

Lawrence Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $33,391 for great lakes region general mechanical engineering students per year to attend Lawrence Tech.

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%.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Lawrence Tech

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