2023 Best Value Colleges for Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
74
Ranked Colleges
40,301
Degrees Awarded
$7,100
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
With 198,468 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, engineering is the 7th most popular major in the United States. 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 the Southeast region, there were 40,301 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $65,769 and $24,379 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 74 colleges that offered 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the engineering program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Duke is located in Durham, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 689 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our southeast region engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Duke has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $371 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Duke.
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 freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Engineering at Duke University
Out of the 74 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #2 spot on the list. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 2,403 students in 2020-2021.
UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $65 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Florida.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Engineering at University of Florida
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 296 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $3,176 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Vanderbilt Engineering Report
Out of the 74 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #4 spot on the list. UNC Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 94 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Chapel Hill, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $3,753 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, 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 95%.
Read full report on Engineering at UNC Chapel Hill
Out of the 74 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. Georgia Tech is a large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 3,407 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Georgia Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Georgia Tech is $8,818 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Engineering at Georgia Tech
University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, this large public school awarded 749 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Virginia, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $12,476 for southeast region 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read full report on Engineering at University of Virginia - Main Campus
North Carolina State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. NC State is a large public school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 2,631 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
NC State also took the #7 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $7,283 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NC State.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Engineering at North Carolina State University
University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. USF Tampa is located in Tampa, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 943 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our southeast region engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, USF Tampa has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of South Florida - Main Campus is $4,176 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.
Full USF Tampa Engineering Report
University of Central Florida landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCF is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 1,628 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UCF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $4,468 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Central Florida.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.
Read more about Engineering at UCF
Virginia Tech came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Blacksburg, Virginia, this large public school handed out 2,227 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Virginia Tech has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $11,934 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Virginia Tech.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Engineering at Virginia Tech
With a ranking of #11, Florida State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 424 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Florida State, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $4,950 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Engineering at Florida State University
Florida International University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Miami, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 977 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend FIU is $3,196 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Engineering at Florida International University
University of Georgia ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UGA is located in Athens, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 463 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
UGA also took the #20 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UGA is $8,303 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 94%.
Full UGA Engineering Report
Wake Technical Community College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wake Technical Community College is a large public school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 133 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,886 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wake Technical Community College.
Read more about Engineering at Wake Technical Community College
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this large public school awarded 756 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
Louisiana State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Louisiana State University is $11,318 for Southeast Region 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
Citadel Military College of South Carolina came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Citadel Military College of South Carolina is located in Charleston, South Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 176 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for The Citadel is $7,451 for Southeast Region 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%. 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%.
Read more about Engineering at Citadel Military College of South Carolina
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a public institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 880 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UT Knoxville also made our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is $10,433 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.
Full The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Engineering Report
Clemson University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Clemson is a large public school situated in Clemson, South Carolina. It awarded 1,525 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Clemson also made our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Clemson is $13,744 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Engineering at Clemson
Florida Atlantic University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Boca Raton, Florida, this large public school handed out 404 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $6,726 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida Atlantic University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 full report on Engineering at Florida Atlantic University
University of North Florida landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UNF is a public institution located in Jacksonville, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 172 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UNF is $4,367 for Southeast Region 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 full report on Engineering at UNF
West Virginia University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. WVU is a public institution located in Morgantown, West Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 821 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for WVU is $10,014 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full WVU Engineering Report
With a ranking of #22, University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Columbia, South Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 562 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, UofSC has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $12,130 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UofSC.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Engineering at UofSC
North Carolina A & T State University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and it awarded 365 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for NC A&T is $7,827 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Engineering at NC A&T
The University of West Florida came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The University of West Florida is located in Pensacola, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 108 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend UWF is $4,288 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Engineering at UWF
University of Kentucky did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Lexington, Kentucky, this large public school awarded 649 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
UK did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UK is $12,593 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Engineering at University of Kentucky
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