2026 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Kansas
[General Mechanical Engineering](/majors/engineering/me-mechanical-engineering/general-mechanical-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for general mechanical engineering students.
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2026 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Kansas
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general mechanical engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools
Our analysis ranked Wichita State University the best value for a degree in general mechanical engineering in Kansas. Set in the city of Wichita, Wichita State University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,684, with out-of-state students paying around $19,869. General Mechanical Engineering graduates carry a median of $21,658 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general mechanical engineering degree recipients from Wichita State University generally make around $68,018. Set against $21,658 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 94%.
Students looking for strong value in general mechanical engineering will find it at University Of Kansas, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Lawrence, University Of Kansas is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $12,102 in tuition and fees, compared with $30,432 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general mechanical engineering graduates is $22,500. Early-career general mechanical engineering graduates make about $70,726. Set against $22,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 94%.
Students looking for strong value in general mechanical engineering will find it at Kansas State University, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Manhattan, Kansas State University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $11,221, while out-of-state students pay about $28,568. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the general mechanical engineering program here. Soon after graduation, general mechanical engineering degree recipients from Kansas State University generally make around $72,627. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
Benedictine College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value general mechanical engineering schools. Set in the town of Atchison, Benedictine College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $36,350. Students borrow a median of $24,990 to complete the general mechanical engineering program here. Early-career general mechanical engineering graduates make about $71,539. That is a strong return on a $24,990 median debt. The acceptance rate is 98%.
More General Mechanical Engineering Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
