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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

67 Ranked Colleges
21,884 Degrees Awarded
$15,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.

With 200,458 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, engineering is the 6th most popular major in the United States. 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 Great Lakes region, there were 32,788 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $66,596 and $24,858 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 21,884 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 67 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality engineering programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan
#12 in overall quality

Out of the 67 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Ferris State University landed the #1 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Big Rapids, Michigan, and it awarded 58 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Ferris did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $12,889 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend Ferris.

Read full report on Engineering at Ferris State University

#2

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin
#15 in overall quality

Out of the 67 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Stout landed the #2 spot on the list. Menomonie, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 110 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Stout also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout is $15,839 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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 UW - Stout Engineering Report

#3

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#22 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Platteville, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 500 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

UW - Platteville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $15,718 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree engineering students.

Read full report on Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

#4

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

Out of the 67 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University Northwest landed the #4 spot on the list. Purdue University Northwest is a medium-sized public school situated in Hammond, Indiana. It awarded 141 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,250 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend Purdue University Northwest.

Read more about Engineering at Purdue Northwest

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 206 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,423 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Full SIUE Engineering Report

#6

Lake Superior State University

Sault Ste Marie, Michigan

With a ranking of #6, Lake Superior State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Lake Superior State University is a small school located in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan that handed out 28 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,398 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students per year to attend Lake Superior State University.

Read more about Engineering at Lake Superior State University

#7

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

With a ranking of #7, Grand Valley State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. GVSU is a large school located in Allendale, Michigan that handed out 135 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Grand Valley State University is $17,646 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree engineering students.

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

Read full report on Engineering at Grand Valley State University

#8

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

With a ranking of #8, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 238 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,259 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend NIU.

Read more about Engineering at NIU

#9

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. Western Michigan University is a public institution located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 319 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend WMU is $19,433 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

Read more about Engineering at WMU

#10

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#7 in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2,012 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue also took the #7 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $13,986 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree engineering students.

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 Purdue

#11

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio

Youngstown State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Youngstown State University is a fairly large school located in Youngstown, Ohio that handed out 181 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $11,947 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

Read more about Engineering at Youngstown State University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 140 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,945 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Read more about Engineering at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#13

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Western Illinois University is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $16,210 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree engineering students.

Read full report on Engineering at WIU

#14

University of Toledo

Toledo, Ohio

With a ranking of #14, University of Toledo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Toledo is a fairly large school located in Toledo, Ohio that handed out 503 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Toledo is $17,630 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree engineering students.

Full University of Toledo Engineering Report

Wright State University - Lake Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. Wright State University - Lake Campus is a small school located in Celina, Ohio that handed out 21 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,099 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend Wright State University - Lake Campus.

Full Wright State University - Lake Campus Engineering Report

#16

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #16, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 295 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is $17,876 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree engineering students.

Read more about Engineering at UWM

With a ranking of #17, Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. BGSU is located in Bowling Green, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 90 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $18,394 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students per year to attend Bowling Green State University - Main Campus.

Full Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Engineering Report

#18

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

With a ranking of #18, Oakland University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Oakland is a fairly large public school situated in Rochester Hills, Michigan. It awarded 383 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,802 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend Oakland University.

Full Oakland Engineering Report

#19

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Evansville, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 71 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,437 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend USI.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at University of Southern Indiana

University of Akron Main Campus landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Akron, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 488 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $17,792 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree engineering students.

Full University of Akron Main Campus Engineering Report

With a ranking of #21, Grace College and Theological Seminary did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Grace College and Theological Seminary is a private not-for-profit institution located in Winona Lake, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $20,820 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students per year to attend Grace College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at Grace College and Theological Seminary

#22

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #22. Central Michigan University is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 78 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan University is $15,981 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree engineering students.

Read full report on Engineering at Central Michigan

University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #23. Dearborn, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 343 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,473 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend UM Dearborn.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UM Dearborn Engineering Report

Wright State University - Main Campus landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Wright State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Dayton, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 281 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,823 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students per year to attend Wright State University - Main Campus.

Read full report on Engineering at Wright State University - Main Campus

#25

Baker College

Owosso, Michigan

Baker College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #25. Baker College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Owosso, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Baker College is $15,049 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Engineering at Baker College

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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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