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2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k

141 Ranked Colleges
1,700 Degrees Awarded
$43,000 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Mechanical Engineering is the 20th most popular major in the country with 47,598 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,700 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $72,680 and $116,043 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 141 colleges that offered a degree in mechanical engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality mechanical engineering programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the mechanical engineering program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Mechanical Engineering Schools

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 Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 25 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 141 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 57 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford University are $55,011, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Stanford Mechanical Engineering Report

#2

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Princeton University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Princeton is a private not-for-profit institution located in Princeton, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 18 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Princeton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Princeton University are $56,470, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Princeton

#3

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 doctorate’s ME degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Northwestern University Mechanical Engineering Report

#4

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#10 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Caltech is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Caltech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at California Institute of Technology are $56,649, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at California Institute of Technology

#5

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Durham, North Carolina, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 18 degrees to qualified doctorate’s ME students in 2019-2020.

Duke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Duke are $59,140.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Duke

#6

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 57 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

MIT not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at MIT are $56,719, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at MIT

#7

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#6 in overall quality

Johns Hopkins University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s ME degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.

Johns Hopkins did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins are $59,425, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Johns Hopkins University Mechanical Engineering Report

#8

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#20 in overall quality

Washington University in St Louis came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s ME students in 2019-2020.

WUSTL also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #20. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Washington University in St Louis are $56,562.

Full Washington University in St Louis Mechanical Engineering Report

#9

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#23 in overall quality

University of Pennsylvania ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. UPenn is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 doctorate’s ME degrees to qualified students.

UPenn also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #23. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Pennsylvania are $41,760.

Full UPenn Mechanical Engineering Report

#10

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Vanderbilt University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 11 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #15. Average graduate tuition and fees at Vanderbilt University are $50,624, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Vanderbilt

#11

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#12 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s ME degrees to 55 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k list, U-M has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor are $49,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Mechanical Engineering Report

#12

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Cornell University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cornell University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cornell, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell University are $30,042.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Cornell

#13

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

With a ranking of #13, University of Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s ME students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UF are $30,130.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UF

#14

Rice University

Houston, Texas
Top 25% in overall quality

Rice University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Rice is a private not-for-profit institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Rice University are $47,913.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Rice University

#22 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s ME degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Madison are $25,523, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UW - Madison

#16

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Notre Dame is located in Notre Dame, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 doctorate’s ME degrees to qualified students.

Notre Dame did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Notre Dame are $57,522, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Notre Dame

#17

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California

University of California - Berkeley came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 43 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s ME students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Berkeley are $29,347.

Full University of California - Berkeley Mechanical Engineering Report

Top 25% in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 51 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UIUC

#19

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCLA are $28,131, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles

With a ranking of #20, Michigan Technological University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Michigan Technological University is a public institution located in Houghton, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 21 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan Technological University are $21,996, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Michigan Tech Mechanical Engineering Report

#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is a public institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 44 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Georgia Tech also took the #13 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Georgia Tech are $31,334.

Full Georgia Tech Mechanical Engineering Report

#22

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#21 in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 60 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue also took the #21 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University - Main Campus are $28,794.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University - Main Campus

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 22 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Washington - Seattle Campus are $30,294, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UW Seattle

#24

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts
#24 in overall quality

Tufts University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Medford, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s ME degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Tufts, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Tufts are $55,168, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Tufts University

#25

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland

University of Maryland - College Park did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. UMCP is a large public school situated in College Park, Maryland. It awarded 23 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Maryland - College Park are $30,885, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Maryland - College Park

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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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