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2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

60 Ranked Colleges
32,891 Degrees Awarded
$9,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 198,468 engineering students received their degree, making the major the 7th most popular in the country. 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 Great Lakes region, there were 32,891 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $69,005 and $24,728 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 60 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent engineering programs, but they also 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

1
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 60 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 813 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern also took the #1 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $917 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Engineering at Northwestern University

2

Out of the 60 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #2 spot on the list. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2,789 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,670 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Engineering Report

3
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Purdue University - Main Campus is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3,177 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Purdue also made our “Best Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $5,853 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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 93%.

Read full report on Engineering at Purdue

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,573 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $4,788 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Madison

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 2,695 students in 2020-2021.

UIUC also made our “Best Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,036 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Engineering Report

6

Michigan Technological University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. Michigan Technological University is located in Houghton, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,047 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan Tech, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan Tech is $8,983 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 1.9% 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 Michigan Technological University

7

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Ohio State is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 2,359 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $8,581 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Engineering at Ohio State

8
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Oakland University is a fairly large school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 535 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Oakland also made our “Best Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Oakland is $8,839 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Oakland

9

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. IUPUI is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 454 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,216 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend IUPUI.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Engineering Report

10

University of Michigan - Dearborn landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Michigan - Dearborn is located in Dearborn, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 651 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

UM Dearborn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $10,465 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UM Dearborn.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Michigan - Dearborn Engineering Report

11
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 492 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

Notre Dame did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $9,136 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Notre Dame.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%. The impressive undergraduate 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 more about Engineering at University of Notre Dame

12
Ferris crest
Ferris State University
Big Rapids, Michigan

With a ranking of #12, Ferris State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ferris is a fairly large public school situated in Big Rapids, Michigan. It awarded 37 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Ferris did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ferris State University is $9,859 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Engineering at Ferris State University

13

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UIC is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 877 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $11,351 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UIC Engineering Report

14

University of Wisconsin - Stout came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Menomonie, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 145 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Stout is $10,958 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on Engineering at UW - Stout

15
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Michigan State University is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 965 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,170 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Michigan State.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, 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 91%.

Full Michigan State Engineering Report

16

Purdue University Northwest came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Purdue University Northwest is a public institution located in Hammond, Indiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 169 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Purdue University Northwest is $8,608 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Engineering at Purdue Northwest

17

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 299 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,825 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Read full report on Engineering at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

18
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Wayne State University is a large school located in Detroit, Michigan that handed out 532 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,414 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wayne State University.

Read full report on Engineering at Wayne State

19

With a ranking of #19, Case Western Reserve University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 615 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, Case Western has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,570 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Case Western Reserve University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, 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 93%.

Full Case Western Reserve University Engineering Report

20
PFW crest
Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. PFW is a public institution located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 72 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,427 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend PFW.

Read full report on Engineering at PFW

21

University of Wisconsin - Platteville ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - Platteville is located in Platteville, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 540 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $10,334 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

22

With a ranking of #22, Grand Valley State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. GVSU is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 174 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $11,026 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 GVSU

23

Youngstown State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Youngstown State University is located in Youngstown, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 248 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $9,972 for great lakes region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Youngstown State University Engineering Report

24

University of Michigan - Flint did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. University of Michigan - Flint is a medium-sized school located in Flint, Michigan that handed out 33 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UM Flint is $8,952 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of Michigan - Flint Engineering Report

25
Lake Superior State University crest
Lake Superior State University
Sault Ste Marie, Michigan

Lake Superior State University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, this small public school awarded 23 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Lake Superior State University is $9,967 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Lake Superior State University Engineering Report

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