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

222 Ranked Colleges
7,458 Degrees Awarded
$43,900 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value ME Schools for a Master's For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

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.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 7,458 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 222 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the mechanical engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. 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 Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k

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

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

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California

Out of the 222 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 163 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford University are $55,011.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Stanford

#2

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s ME degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Duke, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Duke are $59,140, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Duke University

#3

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 130 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MIT, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at MIT are $56,719, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full MIT Mechanical Engineering Report

#4

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 222 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #4 spot on the list. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 40 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwestern has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern

#5

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#16 in overall quality

Out of the 222 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #5 spot on the list. Caltech is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 11 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Caltech also took the #16 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Caltech are $56,649, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full California Institute of Technology Mechanical Engineering Report

#6

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#7 in overall quality

Princeton University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Princeton is a medium-sized school located in Princeton, New Jersey that handed out 12 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Princeton also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #7. Average graduate tuition and fees at Princeton are $56,470, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Princeton

#7

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. University of Pennsylvania is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 53 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’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 Pennsylvania are $41,760.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UPenn

#8

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s ME degrees to 98 students in 2019-2020.

Johns Hopkins not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins are $59,425.

Full Johns Hopkins University Mechanical Engineering Report

#9

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

With a ranking of #9, Washington University in St Louis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. WUSTL is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 53 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WUSTL also took the #13 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at WUSTL are $56,562, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Washington University in St Louis Mechanical Engineering Report

#10

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 150 masters’s ME degrees to qualified students.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at U-M

#11

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UF is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 102 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UF also did well on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’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 Florida are $30,130.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Florida

#12

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
Top 15% in overall quality

Vanderbilt University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Vanderbilt is a fairly large school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 7 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Vanderbilt also did well on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Vanderbilt are $50,624.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Vanderbilt University

#13

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

Cornell University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 70 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornell also took the #8 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’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 more about Mechanical Engineering at Cornell

#14

Rice University

Houston, Texas
#25 in overall quality

Rice University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Rice University is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 17 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Rice also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #25. Average graduate tuition and fees at Rice University are $47,913, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Rice Mechanical Engineering Report

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 57 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Madison are $25,523, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UW - Madison

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s ME degrees to 70 students in 2019-2020.

UIUC excels when it comes to ME quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Mechanical Engineering Report

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 111 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle also claimed a top spot on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW Seattle are $30,294, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UW Seattle Mechanical Engineering Report

#18

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 121 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University - Main Campus are $28,794, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Purdue

Michigan Technological University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan Tech is a medium-sized public school situated in Houghton, Michigan. It awarded 121 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan Tech excels when it comes to ME quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan Tech are $21,996, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Technological University

#20

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California

University of California - Berkeley landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 148 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Berkeley are $29,347, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of California - Berkeley Mechanical Engineering Report

#21

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts
#22 in overall quality

Tufts University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Medford, Massachusetts, and it awarded 21 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k list, Tufts has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Tufts are $55,168, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Tufts University Mechanical Engineering Report

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this large public school handed out 226 degrees to qualified masters’s ME students in 2019-2020.

Georgia Tech also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #17. Average graduate tuition and fees at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus are $31,334, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Georgia Tech Mechanical Engineering Report

#23

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 99 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UCLA are $28,131.

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

Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 146 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k list, Columbia has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia are $51,194.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Columbia University in the City of New York

#25

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#23 in overall quality

University of Notre Dame came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Notre Dame are $57,522, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Notre Dame Mechanical Engineering Report

Rest of the Best 34 in Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 34 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#27

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#30

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida
#31

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts
#32

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#33

The City College of New York

New York, New York

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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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