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2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

36 Ranked Colleges
1,512 Degrees Awarded
$29,500 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value ME Schools for a Master's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

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 for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 8,300 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $68,192 and $24,168 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,512 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,039 and $42,488 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 36 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great mechanical engineering programs and 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. 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 40 degrees to qualified masters’s ME students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern are $56,567.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 150 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at U-M

#3

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s ME degrees to 121 students in 2019-2020.

Purdue also took the #3 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue are $28,794, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Purdue

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 57 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. 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 University of Wisconsin - Madison

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 70 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UIUC

#6

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#4 in overall quality

University of Notre Dame ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s ME degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Notre Dame, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Notre Dame are $57,522, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Notre Dame Mechanical Engineering Report

With a ranking of #7, Michigan Technological University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Michigan Tech is a medium-sized school located in Houghton, Michigan that handed out 121 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan Tech also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. Average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan Technological University are $21,996, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Michigan Technological University Mechanical Engineering Report

With a ranking of #8, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 73 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio State University - Main Campus are $37,141, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#9

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

With a ranking of #9, Oakland University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Oakland University is a fairly large public school situated in Rochester Hills, Michigan. It awarded 64 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Oakland did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Oakland University are $24,648, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Oakland

University of Michigan - Dearborn ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Dearborn, Michigan, and it awarded 77 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k list, UM Dearborn has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UM Dearborn are $25,072.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Michigan - Dearborn

#11

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. Wayne State University is located in Detroit, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 70 masters’s ME degrees to qualified students.

Wayne State also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Wayne State are $37,215.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Wayne State University

#12

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

Purdue University Northwest came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Purdue Northwest is a medium-sized public school situated in Hammond, Indiana. It awarded 28 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue Northwest are $11,633, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Purdue Northwest Mechanical Engineering Report

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s ME degrees to 59 students in 2019-2020.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UIC are $27,036.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UIC

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school handed out 80 degrees to qualified masters’s ME students in 2019-2020.

IUPUI also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #23. Average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis are $26,013, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

#15

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 masters’s ME degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northern Illinois University are $11,086.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Northern Illinois University

#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Case Western Reserve University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 23 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Case Western not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Case Western are $47,958, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University

University of Michigan - Flint landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Michigan - Flint is located in Flint, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 masters’s ME degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Flint are $18,202, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Michigan - Flint

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 4 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #0. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville are $9,300.

Full SIUE Mechanical Engineering Report

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 7 degrees to qualified masters’s ME students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at SIUC are $32,928, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at SIUC

#20

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#14 in overall quality

Michigan State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s ME degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan State are $37,056.

Full Michigan State Mechanical Engineering Report

#21

University of Toledo

Toledo, Ohio
#25 in overall quality

University of Toledo did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. University of Toledo is a public institution located in Toledo, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 18 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Toledo also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #25. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Toledo are $27,067, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Toledo

#22

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio

Youngstown State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Youngstown, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s ME degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Youngstown State University are $9,495.

Full Youngstown State University Mechanical Engineering Report

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this large public school awarded 95 diplomas to qualified masters’s ME students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC are $26,644, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

Wright State University - Main Campus ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Dayton, Ohio, and it awarded 19 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Wright State University - Main Campus are $24,286, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Wright State University - Main Campus

Illinois Institute of Technology ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Illinois Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 72 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Illinois Institute of Technology are $30,695, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Illinois Institute of Technology Mechanical Engineering Report

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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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