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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

36 Ranked Colleges
4,578 Degrees Awarded
$9,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 the Southwest region, there were 5,649 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $61,691 and $21,487 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,578 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 36 colleges that offered a degree 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

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

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

#1

Rice University

Houston, Texas

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Rice University landed the #1 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rice, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $3,437 for southwest region bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Rice University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Rice

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Edinburg, Texas, this large public school handed out 99 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k list, UT Rio Grande Valley has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $2,993 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UT Rio Grande Valley.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UT Rio Grande Valley Mechanical Engineering Report

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #3 spot on the list. Texas A&M University - College Station is a large public school situated in College Station, Texas. It awarded 441 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M University - College Station is $11,454 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University - College Station

#4

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas Tech University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Lubbock, Texas, this large public school awarded 357 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

Texas Tech also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Tech University is $12,317 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full Texas Tech University Mechanical Engineering Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas at Austin. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Texas at Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 273 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k list, UT Austin has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Austin is $12,203 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UT Austin

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, this large public school handed out 254 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

OSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for OSU is $8,669 for southwest region bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus

With a ranking of #7, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Arizona State University - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 265 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

ASU - Tempe also took the #10 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Arizona State University - Tempe is $7,044 for southwest region bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Arizona State University - Tempe

University of North Texas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. UNT is a public institution located in Denton, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 166 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNT not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Texas is $8,521 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UNT Mechanical Engineering Report

The University of Texas at Tyler landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Tyler, Texas, and it awarded 107 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k list, UT Tyler has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $6,797 for southwest region bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UT Tyler.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas at Tyler

#10

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

University of Houston landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Houston is located in Houston, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 220 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UH, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Houston is $10,203 for southwest region bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UH

With a ranking of #11, The University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Texas at San Antonio is located in San Antonio, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 187 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.

UTSA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at San Antonio is $10,516 for southwest region bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UTSA

#12

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Tucson, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 128 students in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $10,562 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Arizona.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Arizona

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UT Permian Basin is a medium-sized public school situated in Odessa, Texas. It awarded 55 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Permian Basin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UT Permian Basin is $7,889 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UT Permian Basin Mechanical Engineering Report

With a ranking of #14, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. New Mexico Tech is a public institution located in Socorro, New Mexico. The school has a small population, and it awarded 77 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

New Mexico Tech also took the #14 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology is $10,924 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at New Mexico Tech

The University of Texas at Dallas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. UT Dallas is a large school located in Richardson, Texas that handed out 217 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Dallas also took the #12 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $10,857 for southwest region bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UT Dallas.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UT Dallas

With a ranking of #16, The University of Texas at El Paso did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in El Paso, Texas, this large public school awarded 198 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at El Paso is $7,092 for southwest region bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas at El Paso

New Mexico State University - Main Campus came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, this fairly large public school handed out 109 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,896 for southwest region bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NMSU Main Campus.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at NMSU Main Campus

#18

Lamar University

Beaumont, Texas

With a ranking of #18, Lamar University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Beaumont, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 64 students in 2019-2020.

Lamar University also took the #25 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lamar University is $9,200 for southwest region bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Lamar University Mechanical Engineering Report

#19

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas

MSU Texas ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Wichita Falls, Texas, this medium-sized public school awarded 50 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,703 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend MSU Texas.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at MSU Texas

Texas A&M University - Kingsville ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Kingsville, Texas, and it awarded 77 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M University - Kingsville is $11,105 for southwest region bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Texas A&M University - Kingsville Mechanical Engineering Report

University of Houston - Clear Lake did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Houston, Texas, this medium-sized public school awarded 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Houston - Clear Lake is $4,517 for southwest region bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UH Clear Lake

The University of Texas at Arlington ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Arlington, Texas, and it awarded 156 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Arlington also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Arlington is $11,811 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UT Arlington Mechanical Engineering Report

#23

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona

With a ranking of #23, Northern Arizona University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northern Arizona University is a public institution located in Flagstaff, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 156 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,251 for southwest region bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NAU.

Full Northern Arizona University Mechanical Engineering Report

#24

Oklahoma Christian University

Edmond, Oklahoma

Oklahoma Christian University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Edmond, Oklahoma, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,686 for southwest region bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oklahoma Christian University.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Oklahoma Christian University

#25

Prairie View A & M University

Prairie View, Texas

Prairie View A & M University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Prairie View A & M University is a medium-sized school located in Prairie View, Texas that handed out 70 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at PVAMU, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Prairie View A & M University is $12,291 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at PVAMU

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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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