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2026 Best Value General Polymer & Plastics Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region

[General Polymer & Plastics Engineering](/majors/engineering/polymer-and-plastics-engineering/general-polymer-and-plastics-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general polymer & plastics engineering education at a price that pays off.

College Factual analyzed 6 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value general polymer & plastics engineering schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value General Polymer & Plastics Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region

2026 Best Value General Polymer & Plastics Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general polymer & plastics engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value General Polymer & Plastics Engineering Schools

1

University Of Akron Main Campus
Akron, OH

$13,135 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,347 Avg Student Debt

$46,600 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is University Of Akron Main Campus, our #1 best value for general polymer & plastics engineering in the Great Lakes Region. Located in the city of Akron, University Of Akron Main Campus is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $13,135, compared with $20,815 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,347 to complete the general polymer & plastics engineering program here. General Polymer & Plastics Engineering graduates of University Of Akron Main Campus earn a median of $49,045 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 60%.

2

Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH

$66,608 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,106 Avg Student Debt

$87,989 Median Earnings (10yr)

Case Western Reserve University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value general polymer & plastics engineering schools. Set in the city of Cleveland, Case Western Reserve University is a large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $66,608. Students borrow a median of $25,106 to complete the general polymer & plastics engineering program here. Early-career general polymer & plastics engineering graduates make about $74,459. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 36%.

View All General Polymer & Plastics Engineering Rankings >

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 6 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.

• 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.