2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in the Great Lakes Region
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Master’s in the Great Lakes 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 Great Lakes region, there were 8,300 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $68,192 and $24,168 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,512 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,039 and $42,488 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 32 colleges that offer 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the mechanical engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region master’s degree me students.
Top 25 Best Value Master’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 Michigan Technological University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region. Houghton, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s ME degrees to 121 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan Tech, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’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 Michigan Tech are $21,996.
Full Michigan Technological University Mechanical Engineering Report
Out of the 32 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 57 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree me students list, UW - Madison has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Out of the 32 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Purdue is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 121 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree me students list, Purdue has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’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 Purdue University - Main Campus are $28,794.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University - Main Campus
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University Northwest. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue University Northwest is a medium-sized school located in Hammond, Indiana that handed out 28 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue Northwest are $11,633, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University Northwest
Out of the 32 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Dayton landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Dayton, Ohio, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 42 degrees to qualified masters’s ME students in 2019-2020.
UDayton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UDayton are $17,780, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Bradley University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 11 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bradley, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Bradley University are $17,040, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #7, Lawrence Technological University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Lawrence Technological University is located in Southfield, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 masters’s ME degrees to qualified students.
Lawrence Tech also took the #21 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Lawrence Technological University are $17,918, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Northern Illinois University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Northern Illinois University is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 18 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northern Illinois University are $11,086.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Northern Illinois University
Marquette University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s ME degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.
Marquette also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. Average graduate tuition and fees at Marquette University are $21,690, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #10, University of Akron Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Akron, Ohio, and it awarded 20 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
University of Akron Main Campus also took the #24 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’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
University of Michigan - Dearborn landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Dearborn, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s ME degrees to 77 students in 2019-2020.
UM Dearborn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’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 UM Dearborn are $25,072.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 70 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC also took the #6 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Youngstown State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #13. Youngstown, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s ME degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Youngstown State University are $9,495, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Youngstown State University
Oakland University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Oakland University is a fairly large public school situated in Rochester Hills, Michigan. It awarded 64 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree me students list, Oakland has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’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 Oakland University are $24,648.
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 95 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree me students list, UC has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’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 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Mechanical Engineering Report
University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 59 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
UIC also took the #16 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Chicago are $27,036, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #17, Cleveland State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Cleveland State University is located in Cleveland, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 masters’s ME degrees to qualified students.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Cleveland State University are $17,622, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Cleveland State University
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. IUPUI is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 80 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
IUPUI also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #23. Average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis are $26,013, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis
Western Michigan University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Western Michigan University is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 34 masters’s ME degrees to qualified students.
WMU also took the #17 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at WMU are $31,355, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of Michigan - Flint came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Flint, Michigan, this medium-sized public school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified masters’s ME students in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Flint are $18,202.
Illinois Institute of Technology ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Illinois Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 72 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Illinois Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Illinois Tech are $30,695, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of Toledo landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Toledo, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 18 degrees to qualified masters’s ME students in 2019-2020.
University of Toledo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Toledo are $27,067, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Wright State University - Main Campus ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Dayton, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 19 degrees to qualified masters’s ME students in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Wright State University - Main Campus are $24,286.
Full Wright State University - Main Campus Mechanical Engineering Report
Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #24. Ohio State is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 73 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’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.
Michigan State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 13 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’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 are $37,056.
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Michel Villeneuve.
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