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2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k

12 Ranked Colleges
1,555 Degrees Awarded
$13,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor's in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 47,598 people earned their degree in mechanical engineering, making the major the 20th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, mechanical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $64,495 and had an average of $23,104 in loans still to pay off.

Across Massachusetts, there were 2,211 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $74,031 and $28,490 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,555 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,887 and $24,387 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 12 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent 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 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 Mechanical Engineering Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for massachusetts bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 12 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in Massachusetts

#1

Olin College

Needham, Massachusetts
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Olin College. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Needham, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

Olin College also took the #1 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Olin College is $845 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Olin College

#2

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 147 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

MIT also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology is $4,535 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 Mechanical Engineering at MIT

#3

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard also took the #3 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $2,973 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Harvard University.

The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Harvard

#4

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Tufts University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k. Medford, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 45 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Tufts, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $5,267 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Tufts University.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Tufts

#5

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northeastern University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 250 students in 2019-2020.

Northeastern also took the #5 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern is $10,239 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Northeastern University Mechanical Engineering Report

#6

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #6, Boston University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boston U is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 160 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Boston U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Boston University is $12,903 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Boston U

#7

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts Amherst landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UMass Amherst is located in Amherst, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 189 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.

UMass Amherst also took the #8 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Massachusetts Amherst is $13,137 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 Mechanical Engineering at University of Massachusetts Amherst

University of Massachusetts - Lowell did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. University of Massachusetts - Lowell is a fairly large school located in Lowell, Massachusetts that handed out 199 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UMass Lowell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMass Lowell is $11,560 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Massachusetts - Lowell

#9

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

North Dartmouth, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #9, University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth is a medium-sized school located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts that handed out 52 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMass Dartmouth, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $13,925 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth.

Full University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth Mechanical Engineering Report

#10

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #10, Worcester Polytechnic Institute did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Worcester Polytechnic Institute is located in Worcester, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 262 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.

WPI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend WPI is $30,503 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute

#11

Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, Massachusetts

Wentworth Institute of Technology ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 113 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k list, WIT has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wentworth Institute of Technology is $30,875 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at WIT

#12

Merrimack College

North Andover, Massachusetts

Merrimack College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Merrimack College is a medium-sized school located in North Andover, Massachusetts that handed out 31 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Merrimack also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Merrimack is $27,589 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Merrimack College Mechanical Engineering Report

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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

Footnotes

  • *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.

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