2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region
25
Ranked Colleges
11,973
Degrees Awarded
$18,800
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.
With 198,468 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, engineering is the 7th most popular major in the United States. 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.
This year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking analyzed 25 colleges that offered a degree 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 picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 in the Plains States Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region engineering students.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Engineering in the Plains States Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Dakota State University is $16,998 for plains states region engineering students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.
Full North Dakota State University - Main Campus Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Dakota State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region list. South Dakota State University is a fairly large public school situated in Brookings, South Dakota. It awarded 179 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
South Dakota State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for South Dakota State University is $18,578 for Plains States Region Engineering students.
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
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Dakota. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region list. Grand Forks, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 307 students in 2020-2021.
UND also made our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for UND is $16,966 for plains states region engineering students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering at University of North Dakota
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school handed out 1,913 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State University is $16,002 for plains states region engineering students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 Iowa State
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in Rapid City, South Dakota, this small public school handed out 377 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
SD Mines also made our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $19,919 for plains states region engineering students per year to attend South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.
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 full report on Engineering at SD Mines
University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #6. This medium-sized school is located in Duluth, Minnesota, and it awarded 309 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UMN Duluth also made our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $18,505 for Plains States Region Engineering students 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 full report on Engineering at University of Minnesota - Duluth
With a ranking of #7, University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region list. 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 also made our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $17,013 for Plains States Region Engineering students per year to attend UNL.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.
Full UNL Engineering Report
With a ranking of #8, Winona State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region 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 also made our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Winona State is $17,634 for Plains States Region Engineering students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering at Winona State
With a ranking of #9, Kansas State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region list. Manhattan, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 579 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region engineering students list, K -State has also earned the #9 rank 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.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Read full report on Engineering at K -State
Wichita State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region list. This fairly large school is located in Wichita, Kansas, and it awarded 471 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region engineering students list, WSU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,859 for Plains States Region Engineering students per year to attend WSU.
Full Wichita State University Engineering Report
Saint Cloud State University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, and it awarded 130 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
St. Cloud State University also took the #23 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Cloud State University is $14,581 for Plains States Region Engineering students.
The low undergrad 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 more about Engineering at Saint Cloud State University
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 1,312 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $17,878 for Plains States Region Engineering students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Engineering Report
With a ranking of #13, University of Kansas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region list. KU is a large school located in Lawrence, Kansas that handed out 498 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
KU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Kansas is $20,257 for Plains States Region Engineering students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, 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 86%.
Read more about Engineering at KU
With a ranking of #14, Missouri University of Science and Technology did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region list. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a medium-sized public school situated in Rolla, Missouri. It awarded 1,478 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region engineering students list, Missouri University of Science and Technology has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri University of Science and Technology is $12,964 for plains states region engineering students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.
Full Missouri University of Science and Technology Engineering Report
Minnesota State University - Mankato ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in Mankato, Minnesota, this fairly large public school awarded 147 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Minnesota State Mankato, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Minnesota State Mankato is $17,159 for plains states region engineering students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering at Minnesota State University - Mankato
University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Mizzou is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 511 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region engineering students list, Mizzou has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,559 for plains states region engineering students per year to attend Mizzou.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Mizzou Engineering Report
University of Iowa did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #17. Iowa is a large public school situated in Iowa City, Iowa. It awarded 577 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region engineering students list, Iowa has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa is $19,401 for plains states region engineering students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. 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
With a ranking of #18, University of Central Missouri did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region list. University of Central Missouri is a public institution located in Warrensburg, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region engineering students list, UCM has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,058 for Plains States Region Engineering students per year to attend UCM.
Read more about Engineering at UCM
Dunwoody College of Technology landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Dunwoody College of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Dunwoody College of Technology also took the #21 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $27,100 for plains states region engineering students per year to attend Dunwoody College of Technology.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about Engineering at Dunwoody College of Technology
University of Missouri - Kansas City landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Kansas City, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 205 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMKC, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Kansas City is $15,702 for plains states region engineering students.
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%.
Full University of Missouri - Kansas City Engineering Report
Dordt University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region list. Dordt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Sioux Center, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 53 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Dordt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Dordt University is $24,313 for Plains States Region Engineering students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Dordt Engineering Report
University of Missouri - St Louis ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region list. University of Missouri - St Louis is a public institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 71 ’s 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 yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - St Louis is $12,232 for plains states region engineering students.
The low undergrad 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 UMSL
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 list. UST MN is a medium-sized school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 210 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UST MN also made our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $31,066 for Plains States Region Engineering students per year to attend University of St Thomas Minnesota.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering at UST MN
Saint Louis University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region list. SLU is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 206 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
SLU also made our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for SLU is $25,039 for Plains States Region Engineering students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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
Washington University in St Louis came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. WUSTL is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 658 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
WUSTL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Washington University in St Louis is $26,921 for plains states region engineering students.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering at WUSTL
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