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2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

28 Ranked Colleges
9,086 Degrees Awarded
$17,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Engineering is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 6th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 200,458 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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 the Plains States region, there were 12,638 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $63,836 and $23,524 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 9,086 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 28 colleges that offer a degree 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.

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 the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering in the Plains States Region (With Aid)

#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Missouri University of Science and Technology. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. Located in Rolla, Missouri, this medium-sized public school awarded 949 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

Missouri University of Science and Technology also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri University of Science and Technology is $14,262 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, 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 85%.

Read full report on Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology

#2 in overall quality

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Iowa State University is a public institution located in Ames, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,571 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State University is $15,496 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Engineering at Iowa State

#3

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Winona State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. Winona State is a medium-sized school located in Winona, Minnesota that handed out 18 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Winona State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Winona State is $17,656 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Winona State University Engineering Report

#4

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - St Louis. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 75 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,435 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid per year to attend UMSL.

Full UMSL Engineering Report

#5

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 895 students in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend UMN Twin Cities is $17,740 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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 more about Engineering at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#9 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Missouri - Columbia is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 475 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $16,001 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid per year to attend University of Missouri - Columbia.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, 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 more about Engineering at University of Missouri - Columbia

#7

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#23 in overall quality

Saint Cloud State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Saint Cloud, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 108 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Cloud State University, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,267 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid per year to attend St. Cloud State University.

Read more about Engineering at Saint Cloud State University

#14 in overall quality

North Dakota State University - Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. North Dakota State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Fargo, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 380 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

North Dakota State University also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for North Dakota State University - Main Campus is $16,584 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at North Dakota State University

#8 in overall quality

University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in Lincoln, Nebraska, and it awarded 505 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNL, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $17,208 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at UNL

#10

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota
#16 in overall quality

University of North Dakota did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. This fairly large school is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and it awarded 271 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UND also took the #16 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Dakota is $15,738 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 more about Engineering at University of North Dakota

#11

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#12 in overall quality

University of Iowa ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Iowa is a public institution located in Iowa City, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 494 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Iowa is $19,145 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Iowa Engineering Report

#21 in overall quality

Minnesota State University - Mankato ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large public school situated in Mankato, Minnesota. It awarded 146 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Minnesota State Mankato also took the #21 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,221 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid per year to attend Minnesota State University - Mankato.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at Minnesota State Mankato

#13

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#1 in overall quality

Washington University in St Louis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Washington University in St Louis is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 333 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WUSTL, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Washington University in St Louis is $26,869 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 94%, 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 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at WUSTL

#14

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas
#10 in overall quality

Kansas State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Manhattan, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 597 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at K -State, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Kansas State University is $18,285 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Engineering at K -State

#15

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, South Dakota State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Brookings, South Dakota, this fairly large public school handed out 163 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at South Dakota State, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend South Dakota State is $19,252 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at South Dakota State

#15 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Duluth ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this fairly large public school awarded 299 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth also took the #15 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,067 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid per year to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth.

The low 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 UMN Duluth

#17

Wichita State University

Wichita, Kansas

Wichita State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. WSU is a fairly large school located in Wichita, Kansas that handed out 298 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,382 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid per year to attend WSU.

Read more about Engineering at Wichita State University

#18

University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri
#24 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. UMKC is a fairly large public school situated in Kansas City, Missouri. It awarded 148 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMKC, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Kansas City is $14,643 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

Full UMKC Engineering Report

#18 in overall quality

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Rapid City, South Dakota, and it awarded 322 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

SD Mines also took the #18 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $19,815 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid per year to attend South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at SD Mines

#20

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas
#19 in overall quality

University of Kansas came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Lawrence, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 418 students in 2019-2020.

KU also took the #19 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Kansas is $18,918 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Kansas Engineering Report

#21

Loras College

Dubuque, Iowa
#7 in overall quality

Loras College landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Loras is located in Dubuque, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Loras also took the #7 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $20,676 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid per year to attend Loras.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Loras Engineering Report

#22

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, Missouri

With a ranking of #22, University of Central Missouri did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Central Missouri is a medium-sized public school situated in Warrensburg, Missouri. It awarded 8 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UCM is $13,677 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

Read more about Engineering at University of Central Missouri

#23

Dunwoody College of Technology

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#5 in overall quality

Dunwoody College of Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. This small school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Dunwoody College of Technology also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Dunwoody College of Technology is $24,488 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Engineering at Dunwoody College of Technology

#24

Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, Missouri
#13 in overall quality

Saint Louis University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. SLU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 149 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid list, SLU has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SLU is $28,188 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Saint Louis University Engineering Report

#24

Wartburg College

Waverly, Iowa
#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, Wartburg College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Waverly, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

Wartburg also took the #25 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wartburg is $21,787 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 Wartburg

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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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