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2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region

17 Ranked Colleges
352 Degrees Awarded
$33,100 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region” 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 doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 352 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $74,428 and $121,375 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 17 colleges that offered a degree 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

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 Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region doctor’s degree me students.

Top 19 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Michigan Technological University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region. Located in Houghton, Michigan, this medium-sized public school awarded 21 degrees to qualified doctorate’s ME students in 2019-2020.

Michigan Tech also took the #9 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan Tech are $21,996, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Tech

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also took the #5 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’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 University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UW - Madison

#3

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 60 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue are $28,794, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Purdue

#4

University of Dayton

Dayton, Ohio
#11 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Dayton. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region list. UDayton is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Dayton, Ohio. It awarded 3 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UDayton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’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 University of Dayton are $17,780.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Dayton

#16 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Akron Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Akron Main Campus is a public institution located in Akron, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 15 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Akron Main Campus also took the #16 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Akron Main Campus are $15,217, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Akron Main Campus Mechanical Engineering Report

#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 51 degrees to qualified doctorate’s ME students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UIUC Mechanical Engineering Report

#7

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan
#17 in overall quality

Oakland University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s ME students in 2019-2020.

Oakland also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #17. Average graduate tuition and fees at Oakland are $24,648, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Oakland University

#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Dearborn, Michigan, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region doctor’s degree me students list, UM Dearborn has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Dearborn are $25,072, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UM Dearborn

#12 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region list. UIC is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 15 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region doctor’s degree me students list, UIC has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’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 UIC are $27,036.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Mechanical Engineering Report

#13 in overall quality

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this large public school awarded 8 degrees to qualified doctorate’s ME students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus are $26,644, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UC Mechanical Engineering Report

#10

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region list. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s ME degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’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 University are $37,056.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Michigan State University

#11

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan
#15 in overall quality

Western Michigan University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region list. Western Michigan University is a fairly large school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan that handed out 6 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

WMU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at WMU are $31,355, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Western Michigan University

#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s ME students in 2019-2020.

Illinois Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’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 Illinois Institute of Technology are $30,695.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Illinois Tech

#10 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region list. Ohio State is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 26 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’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 Ohio State are $37,141.

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Mechanical Engineering Report

#14

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 55 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Mechanical Engineering Report

#15

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan
#17 in overall quality

Wayne State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Wayne State University is a public institution located in Detroit, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Wayne State also took the #17 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’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 Wayne State are $37,215.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Wayne State University

#7 in overall quality

Case Western Reserve University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Case Western also took the #7 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Case Western are $47,958, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Case Western

#16

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 13 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region doctor’s degree me students list, Notre Dame has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’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 Notre Dame are $57,522.

Full University of Notre Dame Mechanical Engineering Report

#17

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

Northwestern University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 doctorate’s ME degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern are $56,567, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern University

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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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