2023 Best Value Colleges for General Mechanical Engineering in the Plains States Region
22
Ranked Colleges
2,950
Degrees Awarded
$18,700
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 46,178 people earned their degree in general mechanical engineering, making the major the 14th most popular in the United States.
Across the Plains States region, there were 2,950 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 Plains States Region” ranking looked at 22 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank General Mechanical Engineering Schools
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list to help you make the college decision.
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 Plains States Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region.
Top 22 Best Value Colleges for General Mechanical Engineering in the Plains States Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region list. North Dakota State University - Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Fargo, North Dakota that handed out 170 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
North Dakota State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Dakota State University is $16,998 for Plains States Region General Mechanical Engineering students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at North Dakota State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Dakota State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region list. Brookings, South Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 80 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at South Dakota State, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend South Dakota State is $18,578 for Plains States 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 full report on General Mechanical Engineering at South Dakota State University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Dakota. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region. Grand Forks, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 112 students in 2020-2021.
UND did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $16,966 for plains states region general mechanical engineering students per year to attend University of North Dakota.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UND General Mechanical Engineering Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region. SD Mines is a small school located in Rapid City, South Dakota that handed out 64 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region general mechanical engineering students list, SD Mines has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is $19,919 for plains states region general mechanical engineering students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full South Dakota School of Mines and Technology General Mechanical Engineering Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school awarded 451 degrees to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.
Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $16,002 for Plains States Region General Mechanical Engineering students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Iowa State University
University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #6. UMN Duluth is a medium-sized school located in Duluth, Minnesota that handed out 121 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UMN Duluth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $18,505 for Plains States Region General Mechanical Engineering students per year to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at University of Minnesota - Duluth
Kansas State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region list. Kansas State University is located in Manhattan, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 182 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.
K -State also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $18,433 for Plains States Region General Mechanical Engineering students per year to attend K -State.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low undergrad 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 full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Kansas State University
With a ranking of #8, University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region list. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is a public institution located in Lincoln, Nebraska. The school has a large population, and it awarded 151 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UNL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $17,013 for Plains States Region General Mechanical Engineering students per year to attend UNL.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at University of Nebraska - Lincoln
With a ranking of #9, Wichita State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region list. Wichita, Kansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 102 students in 2020-2021.
WSU also took the #18 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wichita State University is $14,859 for plains states region general mechanical engineering students.
Full WSU General Mechanical Engineering Report
University of Kansas did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #10. University of Kansas is a large school located in Lawrence, Kansas that handed out 140 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
KU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $20,257 for Plains States Region General Mechanical Engineering students per year to attend University of Kansas.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Full KU General Mechanical Engineering Report
Missouri University of Science and Technology came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Missouri University of Science and Technology is located in Rolla, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 272 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Missouri University of Science and Technology, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology is $12,964 for plains states region general mechanical engineering students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.
Full Missouri University of Science and Technology General Mechanical Engineering Report
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #12. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 285 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region general mechanical engineering students list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $17,878 for plains states region general mechanical engineering students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 full report on General Mechanical Engineering at UMN Twin Cities
University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #13. University of Missouri - Columbia is a large school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 168 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Mizzou also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mizzou is $16,559 for plains states region general mechanical engineering students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 Mizzou General Mechanical Engineering Report
University of Iowa landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 121 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Iowa also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $19,401 for Plains States Region General Mechanical Engineering students per year to attend University of Iowa.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low undergrad 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%.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at University of Iowa
Saint Cloud State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #15. Saint Cloud State University is a public institution located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 36 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Cloud State University, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend St. Cloud State University is $14,581 for Plains States Region General Mechanical Engineering students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at St. Cloud State University
With a ranking of #16, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region list. Minnesota State Mankato is located in Mankato, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 31 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our plains states region general mechanical engineering students list, Minnesota State Mankato has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Minnesota State Mankato is $17,159 for plains states region general mechanical engineering students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Minnesota State University - Mankato General Mechanical Engineering Report
University of Missouri - Kansas City landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Kansas City, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 79 students in 2020-2021.
UMKC also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Kansas City is $15,702 for plains states region general mechanical engineering students.
The low undergrad 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 University of Missouri - Kansas City
Dordt University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Dordt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Sioux Center, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region general mechanical engineering students list, Dordt has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dordt is $24,313 for plains states region general mechanical engineering students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Dordt University
University of Missouri - St Louis came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. UMSL is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 27 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region general mechanical engineering students list, UMSL has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - St Louis is $12,232 for Plains States Region General Mechanical Engineering students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at University of Missouri - St Louis
University of St Thomas Minnesota landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. UST MN is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 105 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UST MN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $31,066 for plains states region general mechanical engineering students per year to attend University of St Thomas Minnesota.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at UST MN
Saint Louis University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Saint Louis University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 22 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
SLU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Louis University is $25,039 for plains states region general mechanical engineering students.
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 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at SLU
Washington University in St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #22. Washington University in St Louis is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 156 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WUSTL, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WUSTL is $26,921 for plains states region general mechanical engineering students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
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
- *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.
Credits
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