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2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k

47 Ranked Colleges
7,287 Degrees Awarded
$9,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 46,178 people earned their degree in mechanical engineering, making the major the 21st most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, mechanical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $69,007 and had an average of $23,944 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 7,287 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $71,682 and $21,000 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 47 colleges that offer 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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The me school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 253 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $1,581 for far western us region me students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stanford University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Stanford Mechanical Engineering Report

2

Out of the 47 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 320 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also took the #3 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $9,999 for Far Western US Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Berkeley

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 259 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $6,399 for far western us region me students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 full report on Mechanical Engineering at UW Seattle

4

Out of the 47 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 252 students in 2020-2021.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $9,891 for Far Western US Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UCLA Mechanical Engineering Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 379 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $11,176 for far western us region me students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad 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 freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UCSD

6

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 274 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region me students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Davis has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $11,598 for Far Western US Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 UC Davis

7

California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 173 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $2,701 for Far Western US Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal State LA.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Cal State LA

8

University of California - Irvine came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 359 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region me students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $8,449 for Far Western US Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Irvine

9

California State University - Fullerton landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 211 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $5,821 for far western us region me students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Cal State Fullerton

10

California State University - Northridge came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 234 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region me students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSUN has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $7,103 for Far Western US Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Northridge

11
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school awarded 243 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $9,274 for far western us region me students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Diego State University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at SDSU

12

California State University - Long Beach landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 194 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $7,573 for Far Western US Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at CSULB

13
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. University of Southern California is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 217 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $17,345 for Far Western US Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 University of Southern California

14

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school handed out 247 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $12,992 for far western us region me students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Mechanical Engineering Report

15

With a ranking of #15, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Fresno is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 71 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,655 for Far Western US Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Fresno State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Fresno State Mechanical Engineering Report

16

With a ranking of #16, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 93 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $11,606 for Far Western US Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Santa Barbara

17

With a ranking of #17, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 321 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $13,194 for Far Western US Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.

Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Mechanical Engineering Report

18
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Washington State University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Pullman, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 319 students in 2020-2021.

Wazzu also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $8,719 for Far Western US Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wazzu.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Washington State University Mechanical Engineering Report

19

California State University - Sacramento came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 229 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $9,055 for Far Western US Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 Sac State

20

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. UCR is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 144 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

UCR also took the #23 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $8,193 for Far Western US Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCR.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UCR

21
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

With a ranking of #21, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 209 students in 2020-2021.

San Jose State also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $13,378 for far western us region me students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad 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 86%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at San Jose State University

22

University of Alaska Fairbanks landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UAF is located in Fairbanks, Alaska and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $9,093 for far western us region me students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UAF

23

University of Nevada - Las Vegas ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UNLV is a public institution located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The school has a large population, and it awarded 104 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UNLV is $9,602 for Far Western US Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Nevada - Las Vegas Mechanical Engineering Report

24
Oregon State crest
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon

With a ranking of #24, Oregon State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Oregon State is located in Corvallis, Oregon and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 345 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.

Oregon State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $17,173 for far western us region me students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oregon State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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 more about Mechanical Engineering at Oregon State

25

University of Nevada - Reno did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. Reno, Nevada is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 166 students in 2020-2021.

UNR also took the #19 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nevada - Reno is $12,399 for Far Western US Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UNR

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