2023 Best Value Colleges for Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in Pennsylvania
18
Ranked Colleges
10,191
Degrees Awarded
$17,100
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.
Engineering is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 7th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 198,468 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2019-2020, engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $68,653 and had an average of $23,855 in loans still to pay off.
Across Pennsylvania, there were 10,191 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $70,080 and $26,180 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 18 colleges that offer a degree in engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality engineering programs that also have a lower cost than 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. 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 Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 18 Best Value Colleges for Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in Pennsylvania
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. UPenn is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 610 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
UPenn also took the #2 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $580 for Pennsylvania Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering at University of Pennsylvania
Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Carnegie Mellon University landed the #2 spot on the list. Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 1,592 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Carnegie Mellon did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $16,456 for Pennsylvania Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Carnegie Mellon.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about Engineering at Carnegie Mellon
Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Lafayette College landed the #3 spot on the list. Lafayette is located in Easton, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 162 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
Lafayette also took the #8 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $11,728 for Pennsylvania Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lafayette College.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Engineering at Lafayette College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k. Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology is a public institution located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology also took the #14 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology is $5,434 for pennsylvania engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Engineering at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lehigh University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 544 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Lehigh also made our “Best Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Lehigh University is $15,561 for Pennsylvania Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad 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%. With a undergrad 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
University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Pitt is a large public school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 1,025 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pitt, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $15,084 for Pennsylvania Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering at Pitt
Villanova University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Villanova University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Villanova, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 431 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Villanova not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $24,907 for Pennsylvania Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Villanova University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering at Villanova
Geneva College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Geneva is a private not-for-profit institution located in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 50 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Geneva also took the #10 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $15,582 for pennsylvania engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Geneva.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Geneva College Engineering Report
Bucknell University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bucknell is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 174 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Bucknell also made our “Best Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Bucknell is $22,722 for pennsylvania engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering at Bucknell University
Temple University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Temple is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 336 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Temple has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $18,173 for Pennsylvania Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Temple.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Temple Engineering Report
York College of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. This small school is located in York, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 87 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
YCP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for York College of Pennsylvania is $17,617 for pennsylvania engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 YCP
Gannon University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Erie, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 83 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Gannon did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Gannon University is $18,292 for Pennsylvania Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Engineering at Gannon
University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Johnstown, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 130 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Pitt Johnstown has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $10,570 for pennsylvania engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Pitt Johnstown.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering at University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown
Drexel University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Drexel University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 886 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Drexel not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $24,508 for pennsylvania engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Drexel University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, 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
Elizabethtown College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Etown is located in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 43 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
Etown also took the #15 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Elizabethtown College is $18,069 for Pennsylvania Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national 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.
Read full report on Engineering at Elizabethtown College
With a ranking of #16, Messiah University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Messiah is a small school located in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 55 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Messiah also took the #11 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Messiah is $18,751 for Pennsylvania Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad 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 Messiah
Wilkes University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Wilkes University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 91 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Wilkes not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $25,058 for Pennsylvania Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wilkes.
The undergrad 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 Wilkes University
Widener University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Widener University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chester, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 119 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Widener did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Widener University is $29,378 for pennsylvania engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering at Widener
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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
- *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
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