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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in the Plains States Region

24 Ranked Colleges
2,820 Degrees Awarded
$18,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking.

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 Plains States region, there were 3,206 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $64,126 and $23,280 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,820 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking analyzed 24 colleges that offered a degree 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.

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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” list to help you make the college 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree me students.

Top 24 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in the Plains States Region

#1

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend South Dakota State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. South Dakota State University is a public institution located in Brookings, South Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 94 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

South Dakota State also took the #13 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $19,252 for plains states region bachelor’s degree me students per year to attend South Dakota State University.

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 South Dakota State University Mechanical Engineering Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. North Dakota State University is located in Fargo, North Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 140 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree me students list, North Dakota State University has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University is $16,584 for plains states region bachelor’s degree me students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at North Dakota State University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Rapid City, South Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 99 students in 2019-2020.

SD Mines did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $19,815 for plains states region bachelor’s degree me students per year to attend SD Mines.

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%.

Full SD Mines Mechanical Engineering Report

#4

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Dakota landed the #4 spot on the list. UND is a fairly large school located in Grand Forks, North Dakota that handed out 104 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UND also took the #12 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of North Dakota is $15,738 for plains states region bachelor’s degree me students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 North Dakota

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Minnesota - Duluth is a public institution located in Duluth, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 125 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree me students list, UMN Duluth has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMN Duluth is $17,067 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Duluth Mechanical Engineering Report

Iowa State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Iowa State is a public institution located in Ames, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 429 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State University is $15,496 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Iowa State University Mechanical Engineering Report

#7

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Saint Cloud State University is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. It awarded 42 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Cloud State University, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Cloud State University is $14,267 for plains states region bachelor’s degree me students.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at St. Cloud State University

Minnesota State University - Mankato ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a public institution located in Mankato, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree me students list, Minnesota State Mankato has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Mankato is $16,221 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Minnesota State Mankato Mechanical Engineering Report

#9

Dunwoody College of Technology

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#15 in overall quality

Dunwoody College of Technology came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

Dunwoody College of Technology also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend Dunwoody College of Technology is $24,488 for plains states region bachelor’s degree me students.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Dunwoody College of Technology

#10

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas

With a ranking of #10, Kansas State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. K -State is located in Manhattan, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 216 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.

K -State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $18,285 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students per year to attend Kansas State University.

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

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Kansas State University

Missouri University of Science and Technology landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a public institution located in Rolla, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 279 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Missouri University of Science and Technology, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri University of Science and Technology is $14,262 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, 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 85%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology

University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #12. Lincoln, Nebraska is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 147 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree me students list, UNL has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNL is $17,208 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

#13

Wichita State University

Wichita, Kansas

Wichita State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Wichita, Kansas, and it awarded 96 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

WSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend WSU is $14,382 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students.

Full Wichita State University Mechanical Engineering Report

University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Columbia, Missouri, this large public school awarded 166 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

Mizzou did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Columbia is $16,001 for plains states region bachelor’s degree me students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%. 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 University of Missouri - Columbia

#15

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. This large school is located in Lawrence, Kansas, and it awarded 118 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at KU, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for KU is $18,918 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full KU Mechanical Engineering Report

#16

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 205 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities also took the #4 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $17,740 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#17

University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri

University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #17. Kansas City, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 52 students in 2019-2020.

UMKC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Kansas City is $14,643 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UMKC

#18

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. University of Iowa is located in Iowa City, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 120 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.

Iowa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Iowa is $19,145 for plains states region 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Iowa Mechanical Engineering Report

#19

Dordt University

Sioux Center, Iowa

Dordt University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Sioux Center, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

Dordt also took the #19 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $25,102 for plains states region bachelor’s degree me students per year to attend Dordt.

The low student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 Dordt

#20

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #20. University of Missouri - St Louis is a public institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMSL also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $9,435 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students per year to attend University of Missouri - St Louis.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UMSL

#21

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, Iowa

Saint Ambrose University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Saint Ambrose University is located in Davenport, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.

St. Ambrose University also took the #21 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $26,204 for plains states region bachelor’s degree me students per year to attend St. Ambrose University.

Full St. Ambrose University Mechanical Engineering Report

#22

University of St Thomas Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota

University of St Thomas Minnesota came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. UST MN is a medium-sized school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 102 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UST MN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UST MN is $29,155 for plains states region bachelor’s degree me students.

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

Full UST MN Mechanical Engineering Report

#23

Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, Missouri

Saint Louis University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. SLU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 26 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

SLU also took the #14 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $28,188 for plains states region bachelor’s degree me students per year to attend SLU.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Saint Louis University

#24

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

Washington University in St Louis landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. WUSTL is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 104 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

WUSTL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for WUSTL is $26,869 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, 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. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at WUSTL

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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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