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2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania

22 Ranked Colleges
4,355 Degrees Awarded
$27,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's in Pennsylvania

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 200,458 engineering students received their degree, making the major the 6th most popular in the country. 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 Pennsylvania, there were 7,360 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $66,472 and $27,477 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,355 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania” ranking, we looked at 22 colleges that offer a degree in engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality engineering programs that also have a lower cost than 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Engineering Schools

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 Pennsylvania”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania

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

Top 22 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering in Pennsylvania

#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania. Pitt is a large public school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 683 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Pitt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $27,938 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

#2

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania
#22 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania. Bloomsburg is located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Bloomsburg not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Bloomsburg is $20,230 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students.

Full Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Engineering Report

#3

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Shippensburg, Pennsylvania
#21 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is located in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Ship not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is $22,054 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

Full Ship Engineering Report

#4

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#16 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Temple University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Temple University is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 371 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Temple also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for Temple is $23,521 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students.

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

Full Temple University Engineering Report

#5

York College of Pennsylvania

York, Pennsylvania
#13 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend York College of Pennsylvania. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. This small school is located in York, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 58 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students list, YCP has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend YCP is $20,652 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.

Read full report on Engineering at YCP

#6

Robert Morris University

Moon Township, Pennsylvania
#8 in overall quality

Robert Morris University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 108 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

RMU also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for RMU is $26,839 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students.

Read full report on Engineering at Robert Morris University

#7

Geneva College

Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
#18 in overall quality

Geneva College landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Geneva College is located in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 72 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Geneva not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Geneva is $19,778 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students.

Read full report on Engineering at Geneva College

#8

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
#12 in overall quality

Elizabethtown College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Elizabethtown College is located in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Etown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Etown is $26,937 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Engineering at Etown

#9

Messiah University

Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
#11 in overall quality

Messiah University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Messiah University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 61 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Messiah also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Messiah University is $28,141 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low 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%.

Full Messiah Engineering Report

#10

Gannon University

Erie, Pennsylvania
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Gannon University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Gannon is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Erie, Pennsylvania. It awarded 59 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Gannon not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Gannon is $21,431 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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 Gannon

#11

Saint Francis University

Loretto, Pennsylvania
#14 in overall quality

Saint Francis University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Saint Francis University is located in Loretto, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Saint Francis, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Francis is $28,643 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students.

The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Saint Francis University Engineering Report

#12

Wilkes University

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
#15 in overall quality

Wilkes University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Wilkes is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. It awarded 90 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students list, Wilkes has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wilkes University is $26,641 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students.

Read more about Engineering at Wilkes

#13

Thomas Jefferson University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#17 in overall quality

Thomas Jefferson University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Thomas Jefferson University is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Thomas Jefferson University also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend Thomas Jefferson University is $25,162 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students.

The low 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 Thomas Jefferson University

#14

Widener University

Chester, Pennsylvania
#19 in overall quality

Widener University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Widener is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chester, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 112 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Widener did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Widener University is $31,345 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students.

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 full report on Engineering at Widener University

#15

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
#4 in overall quality

Lehigh University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 395 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

Lehigh also took the #4 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lehigh is $29,301 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Engineering at Lehigh University

#16

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
#3 in overall quality

Swarthmore College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.

Swarthmore not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Swarthmore College is $19,184 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at Swarthmore College

#17

Lafayette College

Easton, Pennsylvania
#5 in overall quality

Lafayette College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Lafayette College is located in Easton, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 155 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students list, Lafayette has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lafayette is $32,551 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, 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 87%.

Read more about Engineering at Lafayette College

#18

Villanova University

Villanova, Pennsylvania
#7 in overall quality

Villanova University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #18. This fairly large school is located in Villanova, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 241 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students list, Villanova has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Villanova University is $41,027 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at Villanova

#19

Drexel University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#10 in overall quality

Drexel University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 670 students in 2019-2020.

Drexel also took the #10 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $34,914 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend Drexel.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Drexel Engineering Report

#20

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
#6 in overall quality

Bucknell University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Bucknell University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 167 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Bucknell also took the #6 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bucknell University is $42,502 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read full report on Engineering at Bucknell University

#21

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, Carnegie Mellon University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. This fairly large school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 421 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Carnegie Mellon also took the #2 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Carnegie Mellon University is $34,508 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Engineering at Carnegie Mellon

#22

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#1 in overall quality

University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #22. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 252 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $25,802 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree engineering students.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Engineering at UPenn

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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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