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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in Pennsylvania

22 Ranked Colleges
4,355 Degrees Awarded
$17,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 200,458 engineering students received their degree, making the major the 6th most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $64,888 and had an average of $23,564 in loans still to pay off.

Across Pennsylvania, there were 7,360 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $66,472 and $27,477 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,355 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 22 colleges that offer a degree in engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great 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 engineering program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The engineering 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 Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 22 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in Pennsylvania

#1

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #1 spot on the list. UPenn is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 252 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $3,181 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full University of Pennsylvania Engineering Report

#2

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Swarthmore College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k. Swarthmore is a private not-for-profit institution located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Swarthmore also took the #3 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Swarthmore is $5,860 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Engineering at Swarthmore College

#3

Lafayette College

Easton, Pennsylvania
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Lafayette College landed the #3 spot on the list. Easton, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 155 students in 2019-2020.

Lafayette did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $6,934 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lafayette.

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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at Lafayette College

#4

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Carnegie Mellon University landed the #4 spot on the list. Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 421 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Carnegie Mellon has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Carnegie Mellon is $12,542 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.

Read full report on Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University

#5

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lehigh University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k. Lehigh is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It awarded 395 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Lehigh did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $14,080 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Engineering at Lehigh University

#9 in overall quality

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Pitt is a large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 683 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Pitt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $20,075 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Pitt.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at Pitt

#7

Geneva College

Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
#18 in overall quality

Geneva College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 72 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Geneva, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Geneva is $16,158 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Engineering at Geneva

#8

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
#12 in overall quality

Elizabethtown College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 30 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

Etown also took the #12 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Etown is $19,191 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 Elizabethtown College Engineering Report

#9

York College of Pennsylvania

York, Pennsylvania
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, York College of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. York College of Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit institution located in York, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 58 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

YCP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $16,618 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend YCP.

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 more about Engineering at York College of Pennsylvania

#10

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Bucknell University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bucknell University is a small school located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 167 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bucknell, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bucknell University is $22,342 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read full report on Engineering at Bucknell

#11

Messiah University

Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
#11 in overall quality

Messiah University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Messiah not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Messiah University is $20,824 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Engineering at Messiah

#12

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#16 in overall quality

Temple University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 371 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Temple, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Temple University is $18,315 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on Engineering at Temple

#13

Robert Morris University

Moon Township, Pennsylvania
#8 in overall quality

Robert Morris University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. RMU is located in Moon Township, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 108 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

RMU also took the #8 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend RMU is $22,063 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full RMU Engineering Report

#13

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania
#22 in overall quality

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is a public institution located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Bloomsburg has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is $15,638 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Engineering Report

#15

Villanova University

Villanova, Pennsylvania
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Villanova University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Villanova, Pennsylvania, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 241 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Villanova, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $22,517 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Villanova.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full Villanova Engineering Report

#16

Gannon University

Erie, Pennsylvania
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Gannon University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Gannon is a small school located in Erie, Pennsylvania that handed out 59 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Gannon also took the #20 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $16,984 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Gannon.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.

Read full report on Engineering at Gannon University

#17

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Shippensburg, Pennsylvania
#21 in overall quality

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Ship is located in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Ship has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $16,461 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania.

Full Ship Engineering Report

#18

Saint Francis University

Loretto, Pennsylvania
#14 in overall quality

Saint Francis University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Loretto, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Saint Francis also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Francis is $21,504 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 Engineering at Saint Francis University

#19

Thomas Jefferson University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#17 in overall quality

Thomas Jefferson University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Thomas Jefferson University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 22 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Thomas Jefferson University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $18,118 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k 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 Engineering Report

#20

Drexel University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#10 in overall quality

Drexel University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 670 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Drexel has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Drexel University is $25,234 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read more about Engineering at Drexel University

#21

Wilkes University

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
#15 in overall quality

Wilkes University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 90 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Wilkes has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wilkes University is $21,491 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Engineering at Wilkes University

#22

Widener University

Chester, Pennsylvania
#19 in overall quality

Widener University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Widener is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chester, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 112 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Widener not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Widener is $31,431 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Widener 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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