2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k
64
Ranked Colleges
9,524
Degrees Awarded
$9,500
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.
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 Southeast region, there were 9,524 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $65,486 and $24,571 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 64 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k”.
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. 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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in the Southeast Region
Out of the 64 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #1 spot on the list. Duke University is a fairly large school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 141 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region me students whose families make $30-$48k list, Duke has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $-927 for southeast region me students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Duke. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%.
Full Duke University Mechanical Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Florida is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 597 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
UF also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $2,857 for southeast region me students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UF
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 66 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt University is $4,652 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Vanderbilt
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 794 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Georgia Tech also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $11,712 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 more about Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of South Florida - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 243 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
USF Tampa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $5,632 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend USF Tampa.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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 University of South Florida - Main Campus Mechanical Engineering Report
North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. North Carolina State University is a public institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 402 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
NC State also took the #7 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Carolina State University is $9,448 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, 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 94%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at NC State
University of Central Florida came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 503 students in 2020-2021.
UCF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Central Florida is $6,256 for southeast region me students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 UCF
Florida State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 109 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Florida State, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $7,349 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Florida State University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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 95%.
Full Florida State Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #9, Florida International University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. FIU is located in Miami, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 174 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
FIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $4,882 for southeast region me students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, 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.
Full Florida International University Mechanical Engineering Report
University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 64 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Virginia, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia - Main Campus is $10,063 for southeast region me students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Virginia
Virginia Tech ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Blacksburg, Virginia, this large public school awarded 466 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
Virginia Tech also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $14,003 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering Report
University of North Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. UNF is located in Jacksonville, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 82 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $6,074 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of North Florida.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UNF Mechanical Engineering Report
Clemson University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Clemson, South Carolina, and it awarded 385 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Clemson also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $16,650 for southeast region me students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Clemson.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Clemson
Florida Atlantic University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Boca Raton, Florida, and it awarded 122 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,262 for southeast region me students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend FAU.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Florida Atlantic University Mechanical Engineering Report
University of Georgia ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Georgia is a large school located in Athens, Georgia that handed out 172 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
UGA also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for UGA is $10,688 for southeast region me students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. 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 Georgia
North Carolina A & T State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, this fairly large public school handed out 106 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $9,170 for southeast region me students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NC A&T.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at North Carolina A & T State University
The University of West Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. UWF is located in Pensacola, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 55 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $3,827 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UWF.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UWF
West Virginia University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Morgantown, West Virginia, this large public school awarded 170 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region me students whose families make $30-$48k list, WVU has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WVU is $10,250 for southeast region me students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at WVU
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Knoxville, Tennessee, this large public school awarded 190 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
UT Knoxville also took the #10 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $13,970 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Mechanical Engineering Report
Mississippi State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Mississippi State University is a large school located in Mississippi State, Mississippi that handed out 216 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mississippi State, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mississippi State University is $13,553 for Southeast 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 85%.
Full Mississippi State Mechanical Engineering Report
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this large public school awarded 133 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region me students whose families make $30-$48k list, Louisiana State University has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $15,403 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Louisiana State University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
Citadel Military College of South Carolina came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Charleston, South Carolina, this small public school awarded 95 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $12,364 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Citadel Military College of South Carolina.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 The Citadel
University of North Carolina at Charlotte did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 249 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
UNC Charlotte also took the #23 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Charlotte is $13,226 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad 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 North Carolina at Charlotte
With a ranking of #24, University of Kentucky did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UK is located in Lexington, Kentucky and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 188 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
UK also took the #16 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Kentucky is $13,424 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Kentucky
With a ranking of #25, University of Arkansas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and it awarded 142 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Arkansas is $13,690 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 4.1% 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 University of Arkansas
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