2022 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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.
Across the Southwest region, there were 5,649 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $61,691 and $21,487 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 36 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
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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 Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k”.
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. 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 in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region me students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Rice University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Rice University is located in Houston, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 60 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
Rice also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Rice University is $7,534 for southwest region me students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive 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.
Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #2 spot on the list. Edinburg, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 116 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region me students whose families make $30-$48k list, UT Rio Grande Valley has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $3,473 for southwest region me students whose families make $30-$48k 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%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #3 spot on the list. Texas A&M College Station is located in College Station, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 575 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
Texas A&M College Station also took the #3 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $13,270 for Southwest Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Texas A&M College Station.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University - College Station
Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas Tech University landed the #4 spot on the list. Texas Tech University is a large public school situated in Lubbock, Texas. It awarded 389 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
Texas Tech also took the #4 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Tech University is $13,326 for Southwest Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Texas Tech University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. OSU is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 292 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
OSU also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is $9,962 for Southwest 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.
University of North Texas came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Denton, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 179 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNT, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $9,082 for southwest region me students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UNT.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full University of North Texas Mechanical Engineering Report
The University of Texas at Austin came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. The University of Texas at Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 344 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
UT Austin also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $13,575 for southwest region me students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UT Austin.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full The University of Texas at Austin Mechanical Engineering Report
The University of Texas at Tyler ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Tyler, Texas, this medium-sized public school awarded 117 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2019-2020.
UT Tyler also took the #16 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $7,058 for southwest region me students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend The University of Texas at Tyler.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas at Tyler
University of Houston ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UH is a public institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 276 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UH not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Houston is $9,925 for Southwest Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this large public school awarded 411 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2019-2020.
ASU - Tempe not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $8,921 for Southwest 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.
Full Arizona State University - Tempe Mechanical Engineering Report
The University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. UTSA is located in San Antonio, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 214 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our southwest region me students whose families make $30-$48k list, UTSA has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UTSA is $11,109 for southwest region me students whose families make $30-$48k.
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UT Permian Basin is located in Odessa, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 55 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Permian Basin, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas of the Permian Basin is $10,221 for southwest region me students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UT Permian Basin
University of Arizona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. University of Arizona is a public institution located in Tucson, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 143 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
University of Arizona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Arizona is $11,466 for southwest 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.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Arizona
Lamar University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Beaumont, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 64 students in 2019-2020.
Lamar University also took the #22 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lamar University is $10,631 for southwest region me students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Lamar University
The University of Texas at Dallas landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UT Dallas is a public institution located in Richardson, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 277 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Dallas, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Dallas is $11,745 for southwest region me students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
The University of Texas at El Paso landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. The University of Texas at El Paso is located in El Paso, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 240 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at El Paso is $7,427 for Southwest Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas at El Paso
New Mexico State University - Main Campus landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. New Mexico State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 127 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for NMSU Main Campus is $7,006 for Southwest Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at New Mexico State University - Main Campus
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. New Mexico Tech is a small public school situated in Socorro, New Mexico. It awarded 88 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
New Mexico Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology is $12,297 for Southwest Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k.
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.
MSU Texas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. This medium-sized school is located in Wichita Falls, Texas, and it awarded 50 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend MSU Texas is $8,554 for Southwest Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k.
Texas A&M University - Kingsville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Kingsville, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 97 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M Kingsville is $11,721 for southwest region me students whose families make $30-$48k.
Prairie View A & M University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Prairie View, Texas, and it awarded 70 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
PVAMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend PVAMU is $13,098 for southwest region me students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Prairie View A & M University
With a ranking of #22, The University of Texas at Arlington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UT Arlington is a large public school situated in Arlington, Texas. It awarded 304 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Arlington, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Arlington is $12,974 for Southwest Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k.
Northern Arizona University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Northern Arizona University is a public institution located in Flagstaff, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 173 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Northern Arizona University is $9,799 for southwest region me students whose families make $30-$48k.
West Texas A&M University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. West Texas A&M University is located in Canyon, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 43 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $10,146 for southwest region me students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend West Texas A&M University.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at West Texas A&M University
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a large school located in Norman, Oklahoma that handed out 168 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
University of Oklahoma also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend University of Oklahoma is $17,285 for Southwest Region ME students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Oklahoma
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Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region
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Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region
Mechanical Engineering students with family income less than $30k in the Southwest Region
Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region
Mechanical Engineering students with family income $48-$75k in the Southwest Region
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Mechanical Engineering students with family income exceeding $110k in the Southwest Region
Highest Paid Mechanical Engineering Graduates in the Southwest Region
Mechanical Engineering students in the Southwest Region
Most Popular Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in the Southwest Region
Mechanical Engineering students in the Southwest Region
Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in the Southwest Region (With Aid)
Mechanical Engineering students getting aid in the Southwest Region
Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region
Mechanical Engineering students with family income $30-$48k in the Southwest Region
Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $75-$110k) in the Southwest Region
Mechanical Engineering students with family income $75-$110k in the Southwest Region
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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Michel Villeneuve.
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