2023 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in the Southeast Region (With Aid)
64
Ranked Colleges
9,524
Degrees Awarded
$14,800
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Getting Aid” ranking.
Mechanical Engineering is the 21st most popular major in the country with 46,178 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.
This year’s “Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 64 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.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the mechanical engineering program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. 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 Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region me students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in the Southeast Region (With Aid)
Out of the 64 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school handed out 597 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region me students with aid list, UF has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UF is $5,135 for southeast region me students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 more about Mechanical Engineering at UF
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is located in Atlanta, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 794 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our southeast region me students with aid list, Georgia Tech has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $14,974 for southeast region me students with aid per year to attend Georgia Tech.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, 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 97%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Central Florida. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Central Florida is $8,618 for southeast region me students with aid.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Central Florida Mechanical Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend North Carolina State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 402 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
NC State also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for NC State is $16,411 for Southeast Region ME students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national 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 North Carolina State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school awarded 243 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region me students with aid list, USF Tampa has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $8,346 for Southeast Region ME students with aid.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full USF Tampa Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #6, Florida International University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Miami, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 174 students in 2020-2021.
FIU also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend FIU is $5,298 for Southeast Region ME students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full FIU Mechanical Engineering Report
North Carolina A & T State University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. North Carolina A & T State University is a fairly large school located in Greensboro, North Carolina that handed out 106 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $10,563 for Southeast Region ME students with aid per year to attend North Carolina A & T State University.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at NC A&T
Virginia Tech ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Blacksburg, Virginia, this large public school awarded 466 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
Virginia Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $21,301 for Southeast Region ME students with aid.
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 1.2% 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 Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering Report
Florida State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Florida State is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 109 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Florida State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Florida State is $9,946 for southeast region me students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, 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%.
Full Florida State Mechanical Engineering Report
University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Virginia is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 64 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus is $22,006 for Southeast Region ME students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Virginia Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #11, West Virginia University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. West Virginia University is a large public school situated in Morgantown, West Virginia. It awarded 170 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region me students with aid 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 $13,355 for Southeast Region ME students with aid.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at West Virginia University
Duke University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s ME degrees to 141 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Duke, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Duke University is $32,459 for southeast region me students with aid.
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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Duke Mechanical Engineering Report
Florida Atlantic University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. This large school is located in Boca Raton, Florida, and it awarded 122 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend FAU is $10,735 for Southeast Region ME students with aid.
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 more about Mechanical Engineering at Florida Atlantic University
Mississippi State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Mississippi State, Mississippi, and it awarded 216 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Mississippi State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Mississippi State is $16,122 for Southeast Region ME students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Mississippi State University
University of North Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. University of North Florida is a fairly large public school situated in Jacksonville, Florida. It awarded 82 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of North Florida is $8,865 for southeast region me students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.
Full University of North Florida Mechanical Engineering Report
University of North Carolina at Charlotte landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a public institution located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 249 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Charlotte, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Charlotte is $17,634 for southeast region me students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, 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 85%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UNC Charlotte
Clemson University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. Clemson, South Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 385 students in 2020-2021.
Clemson did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Clemson University is $21,262 for Southeast Region ME students with aid.
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%. 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 Clemson University
University of Georgia came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Athens, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 172 students in 2020-2021.
UGA also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $14,257 for Southeast Region ME students with aid per year to attend University of Georgia.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Georgia
The University of West Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. This fairly large school is located in Pensacola, Florida, and it awarded 55 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UWF is $7,089 for southeast region me students with aid.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at The University of West Florida
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Louisiana State University is a large school located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana that handed out 133 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Louisiana State University also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College is $17,811 for Southeast Region ME students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 full report on Mechanical Engineering at Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
University of Arkansas landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, this large public school handed out 142 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $16,507 for southeast region me students with aid per year to attend University of Arkansas.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Arkansas
University of Alabama in Huntsville landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Huntsville, Alabama is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 150 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $17,208 for Southeast Region ME students with aid per year to attend UAH.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 University of Alabama in Huntsville Mechanical Engineering Report
The University of Alabama came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. The University of Alabama is a public institution located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The school has a large population, and it awarded 378 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UA also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $20,917 for southeast region me students with aid per year to attend The University of Alabama.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 87%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at The University of Alabama
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. UT Knoxville is a large school located in Knoxville, Tennessee that handed out 190 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Knoxville, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $18,579 for southeast region me students with aid per year to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UT Knoxville
Georgia Southern University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Statesboro, Georgia, this large public school handed out 200 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $15,571 for Southeast Region ME students with aid per year to attend GaSou.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Southern University
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