2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in the Great Lakes Region
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 6,416 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 56 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the mechanical engineering program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Stout. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. UW - Stout is located in Menomonie, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 56 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.
UW - Stout also took the #16 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stout is $15,839 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Wisconsin - Stout Mechanical Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Platteville, Wisconsin, and it awarded 190 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree me students list, UW - Platteville has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,718 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree me students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University Northwest. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue University Northwest is a medium-sized school located in Hammond, Indiana that handed out 62 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,250 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree me students per year to attend Purdue Northwest.
Out of the 56 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 82 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $14,423 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree me students.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Out of the 56 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Lake Superior State University landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,398 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree me students per year to attend Lake Superior State University.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Lake Superior State University
Northern Illinois University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 123 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree me students.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Northern Illinois University
With a ranking of #7, Western Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Western Michigan University is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 79 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Western Michigan University is $19,433 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Western Michigan University
With a ranking of #8, Grand Valley State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Allendale, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 50 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Grand Valley State University is $17,646 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Grand Valley State University
Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 376 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $13,986 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students.
The 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 93%.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $16,945 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
With a ranking of #11, Youngstown State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Youngstown State University is a fairly large school located in Youngstown, Ohio that handed out 58 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $11,947 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree me students.
Full Youngstown State University Mechanical Engineering Report
Western Illinois University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 14 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $16,210 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree me students.
With a ranking of #13, University of Toledo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Toledo, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 195 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Toledo is $17,630 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree me students.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Toledo
Wright State University - Lake Campus landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small school is located in Celina, Ohio, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Wright State University - Lake Campus is $12,099 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree me students.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Wright State University - Lake Campus
Oakland University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 182 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oakland, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $11,802 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Oakland University
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 115 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UWM is $17,876 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree me students.
Full University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Mechanical Engineering Report
University of Akron Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. University of Akron Main Campus is a public institution located in Akron, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 197 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Akron Main Campus is $17,792 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree me students.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Akron Main Campus
With a ranking of #18, University of Southern Indiana did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Evansville, Indiana, this fairly large public school awarded 26 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for USI is $13,437 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree me students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Southern Indiana Mechanical Engineering Report
Wright State University - Main Campus landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Dayton, Ohio, and it awarded 124 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $16,823 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students per year to attend Wright State University - Main Campus.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Wright State University - Main Campus
University of Michigan - Dearborn came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UM Dearborn is located in Dearborn, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 157 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $11,473 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree me students per year to attend UM Dearborn.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #21, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Central Michigan University is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan University is $15,981 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students.
With a ranking of #22, Baker College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Baker College is a medium-sized school located in Owosso, Michigan that handed out 9 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,049 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree me students per year to attend Baker College.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UC is a large school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 238 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
UC also took the #21 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $21,843 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students per year to attend UC.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Saginaw Valley State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #24. Saginaw Valley State University is a medium-sized school located in University Center, Michigan that handed out 59 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Saginaw Valley State University is $14,248 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Saginaw Valley State University
Cleveland State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Cleveland State University is a fairly large public school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 118 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $17,278 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree me students per year to attend Cleveland State University.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Cleveland State University
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Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
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Mechanical Engineering students in the Great Lakes Region
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Mechanical Engineering students with family income $48-$75k in the Great Lakes Region
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Mechanical Engineering students in the Great Lakes Region
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Mechanical Engineering students with family income $30-$48k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region
Mechanical Engineering students with family income $75-$110k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in the Great Lakes Region
Mechanical Engineering students in the Great Lakes 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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