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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in Pennsylvania

15 Ranked Colleges
1,251 Degrees Awarded
$29,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor's in Pennsylvania

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania” 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 Pennsylvania, there were 1,713 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $65,600 and $26,332 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,251 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania” ranking looked at 15 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Mechanical Engineering Schools

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 for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania”.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania.

Top 15 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is a public institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 181 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Pitt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is $27,938 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree me students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full Pitt Mechanical Engineering Report

#2

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Temple University landed the #2 spot on the list. Temple is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 138 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree me students list, Temple has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Temple is $23,521 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree me students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Temple

#3

York College of Pennsylvania

York, Pennsylvania

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, York College of Pennsylvania landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in York, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 39 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

YCP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for York College of Pennsylvania is $20,652 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree me students.

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 more about Mechanical Engineering at YCP

#4

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Shippensburg, Pennsylvania
#15 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Located in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school awarded 3 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

Ship did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is $22,054 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree ME students.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

#5

Gannon University

Erie, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Gannon University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania. Gannon is located in Erie, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.

Gannon also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $21,431 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree me students per year to attend Gannon.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Gannon University

#6

Wilkes University

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

Wilkes University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Wilkes University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 51 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wilkes, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $26,641 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree ME students per year to attend Wilkes.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Wilkes University

#7

Thomas Jefferson University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #7, Thomas Jefferson University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

Thomas Jefferson University also took the #12 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $25,162 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree ME students per year to attend Thomas Jefferson University.

The low 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%.

Full Thomas Jefferson University Mechanical Engineering Report

#8

Widener University

Chester, Pennsylvania

Widener University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #8. Widener is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chester, Pennsylvania. It awarded 38 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Widener also took the #13 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Widener is $31,345 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree me students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Widener University

#9

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Lehigh University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 101 students in 2019-2020.

Lehigh not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $29,301 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree ME students per year to attend Lehigh.

The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Lehigh

#10

Lafayette College

Easton, Pennsylvania

Lafayette College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #10. Lafayette is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Easton, Pennsylvania. It awarded 57 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Lafayette not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Lafayette College is $32,551 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree me students.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Lafayette College

#11

Villanova University

Villanova, Pennsylvania

Villanova University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Located in Villanova, Pennsylvania, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 70 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

Villanova also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $41,027 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree me students per year to attend Villanova.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 Villanova University

#12

Drexel University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #12, Drexel University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 189 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Drexel, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Drexel is $34,914 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree ME students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Drexel University

#13

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

Bucknell University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Bucknell University is located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.

Bucknell also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Bucknell is $42,502 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree me students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Bucknell University

#14

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 130 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Carnegie Mellon did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Carnegie Mellon is $34,508 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree ME students.

The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Carnegie Mellon Mechanical Engineering Report

#15

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #15. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 60 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $25,802 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree ME students.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full University of Pennsylvania 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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