2027 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in South Carolina
[General Mechanical Engineering](/majors/engineering/me-mechanical-engineering/general-mechanical-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general mechanical engineering education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general mechanical engineering students.
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2027 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in South Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general mechanical engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools
For return on investment in general mechanical engineering, no school beat Francis Marion University this year. Francis Marion University is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Florence. In-state tuition and fees average $11,170, with out-of-state students paying around $21,544. Typical student debt for general mechanical engineering graduates is $30,577. Soon after graduation, general mechanical engineering degree recipients from Francis Marion University generally make around $41,456. Set against $30,577 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Students looking for strong value in general mechanical engineering will find it at University Of South Carolina Aiken, which ranked #2. University Of South Carolina Aiken is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Aiken. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,760, while out-of-state students pay about $21,218. Typical student debt for general mechanical engineering graduates is $27,011. Early-career general mechanical engineering graduates make about $42,220. Set against $27,011 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Citadel Military College Of South Carolina one of the best values for general mechanical engineering. Citadel Military College Of South Carolina is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Charleston. Students from in state pay about $12,570 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $38,508. Students borrow a median of $19,500 to complete the general mechanical engineering program here. Early-career general mechanical engineering graduates make about $52,602. Set against $19,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 23%.
Clemson University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general mechanical engineering, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Clemson, Clemson University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,554, with out-of-state students paying around $40,866. Typical student debt for general mechanical engineering graduates is $24,125. Soon after graduation, general mechanical engineering degree recipients from Clemson University generally make around $76,932. Set against $24,125 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 38% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in general mechanical engineering will find it at University Of South Carolina Columbia, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Columbia, University Of South Carolina Columbia is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,688, compared with $36,298 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general mechanical engineering graduates is $25,000. Early-career general mechanical engineering graduates make about $72,370. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 60% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
