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2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

25 Ranked Colleges
11,973 Degrees Awarded
$18,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 Plains States region, there were 11,973 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $66,381 and $24,851 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 25 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” 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 by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid.

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

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a medium-sized school located in Rolla, Missouri that handed out 1,478 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Missouri University of Science and Technology also took the #4 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,964 for Plains States Region Engineering students with aid per year to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Missouri University of Science and Technology

2

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools 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. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school handed out 1,913 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa State, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,002 for Plains States Region Engineering students with aid per year to attend Iowa State.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 Iowa State

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. UMN Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,312 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $17,878 for Plains States Region Engineering students with aid per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - Columbia. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. University of Missouri - Columbia is a public institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 511 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Mizzou also took the #7 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Columbia is $16,559 for Plains States Region Engineering students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at University of Missouri - Columbia

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. Lincoln, Nebraska is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 670 students in 2020-2021.

UNL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNL is $17,013 for Plains States Region Engineering students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

6
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools 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 577 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $19,401 for plains states region engineering students with aid per year to attend Iowa.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Engineering at University of Iowa

7

With a ranking of #7, North Dakota State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. North Dakota State University is a public institution located in Fargo, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 450 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

North Dakota State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Dakota State University - Main Campus is $16,998 for Plains States Region Engineering students with aid.

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 North Dakota State University - Main Campus

8
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

With a ranking of #8, University of North Dakota did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of North Dakota is a fairly large school located in Grand Forks, North Dakota that handed out 307 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region engineering students with aid list, UND has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Dakota is $16,966 for Plains States Region Engineering students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at UND

9

University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. University of Missouri - St Louis is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 71 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMSL, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - St Louis is $12,232 for plains states region engineering students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at University of Missouri - St Louis

10
K -State crest
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Manhattan, Kansas, and it awarded 579 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at K -State, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Kansas State University is $18,433 for Plains States Region Engineering students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 Kansas State University

11

With a ranking of #11, Wichita State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Wichita State University is a public institution located in Wichita, Kansas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 471 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

WSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for WSU is $14,859 for plains states region engineering students with aid.

Read full report on Engineering at Wichita State University

12

University of Missouri - Kansas City ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Missouri - Kansas City is a fairly large public school situated in Kansas City, Missouri. It awarded 205 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

UMKC also took the #17 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,702 for plains states region engineering students with aid per year to attend University of Missouri - Kansas City.

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%.

Read more about Engineering at UMKC

13

Washington University in St Louis came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 658 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

WUSTL also made our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $26,921 for plains states region engineering students with aid per year to attend WUSTL.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, 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 94%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full WUSTL Engineering Report

14

University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. UMN Duluth is a medium-sized school located in Duluth, Minnesota that handed out 309 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Duluth, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $18,505 for Plains States Region Engineering students with aid per year to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth.

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%.

Read more about Engineering at University of Minnesota - Duluth

15
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

With a ranking of #15, University of Kansas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. KU is a large public school situated in Lawrence, Kansas. It awarded 498 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region engineering students with aid list, KU has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend KU is $20,257 for plains states region engineering students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.

Read full report on Engineering at KU

16
St. Cloud State University crest
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Saint Cloud State University is a fairly large school located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota that handed out 130 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

St. Cloud State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Saint Cloud State University is $14,581 for Plains States Region Engineering students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at St. Cloud State University

17
South Dakota State crest
South Dakota State University
Brookings, South Dakota

With a ranking of #17, South Dakota State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Brookings, South Dakota, and it awarded 179 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region engineering students with aid list, South Dakota State has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend South Dakota State University is $18,578 for Plains States Region Engineering students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at South Dakota State University

18

Minnesota State University - Mankato came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Mankato, Minnesota, and it awarded 147 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Minnesota State Mankato did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $17,159 for Plains States Region Engineering students with aid per year to attend Minnesota State University - Mankato.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at Minnesota State University - Mankato

19
Winona State crest
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Winona State is a public institution located in Winona, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 20 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Winona State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Winona State University is $17,634 for plains states region engineering students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at Winona State

20

With a ranking of #20, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is a small public school situated in Rapid City, South Dakota. It awarded 377 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SD Mines, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SD Mines is $19,919 for Plains States Region Engineering students with aid.

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 full report on Engineering at SD Mines

21
UCM crest
University of Central Missouri
Warrensburg, Missouri

University of Central Missouri ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Central Missouri is a fairly large school located in Warrensburg, Missouri that handed out 32 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region engineering students with aid list, UCM has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCM is $14,058 for Plains States Region Engineering students with aid.

Full University of Central Missouri Engineering Report

22
Dunwoody College of Technology crest
Dunwoody College of Technology
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Dunwoody College of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. Dunwoody College of Technology is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dunwoody College of Technology, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Dunwoody College of Technology is $27,100 for Plains States Region Engineering students with aid.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 Dunwoody College of Technology

23

With a ranking of #23, University of St Thomas Minnesota did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of St Thomas Minnesota is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 210 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

UST MN also made our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for UST MN is $31,066 for Plains States Region Engineering students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at UST MN

24
SLU crest
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, Missouri

Saint Louis University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Saint Louis University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 206 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SLU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for SLU is $25,039 for plains states region engineering students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, 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. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Saint Louis University Engineering Report

25
Dordt crest
Dordt University
Sioux Center, Iowa

Dordt University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Dordt is a small school located in Sioux Center, Iowa that handed out 53 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dordt, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dordt University is $24,313 for plains states region engineering students with aid.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Engineering at Dordt

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Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in the Plains States Region (With Aid)

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Petroleum Engineering
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Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Best Value Colleges for Electrical and Computer Engineering. in the Plains States Region (With Aid)

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