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2026 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Rhode Island

[General Mechanical Engineering](/majors/engineering/me-mechanical-engineering/general-mechanical-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools to find the best return on investment for general mechanical engineering students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Rhode Island

2026 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Rhode Island

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general mechanical engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools

1

Community College Of Rhode Island
Warwick, RI

$5,550 In-State Tuition & Fees

$13,940 Avg Student Debt

$42,659 Median Earnings (10yr)

Community College Of Rhode Island tops our 2026 list of the best value general mechanical engineering schools in Rhode Island. Located in the city of Warwick, Community College Of Rhode Island is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,550, compared with $14,834 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $13,940 to complete the general mechanical engineering program here. Soon after graduation, general mechanical engineering degree recipients from Community College Of Rhode Island generally make around $39,680. Set against $13,940 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.

2

University Of Rhode Island
Kingston, RI

$16,942 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,500 Avg Student Debt

$69,743 Median Earnings (10yr)

University Of Rhode Island came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value general mechanical engineering schools. Set in the suburb of Kingston, University Of Rhode Island is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $16,942 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $37,146. Students borrow a median of $25,500 to complete the general mechanical engineering program here. Early-career general mechanical engineering graduates make about $77,343. Set against $25,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Rhode Island admits about 72% of applicants.

View All General Mechanical Engineering Rankings >

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.

• 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.