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2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region

33 Ranked Colleges
1,941 Degrees Awarded
$33,100 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Engineering is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 7th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 198,468 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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 Great Lakes region, there were 32,891 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $69,005 and $24,728 respectively. At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,941 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $74,305 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 33 colleges that offer a degree in engineering. That schools that top this list have a program in engineering in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region”.

Top 25 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s engineering degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

Full AFIT Graduate School of Engineering & Management Engineering Report

2
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region. Purdue is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 365 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Engineering at Purdue University - Main Campus

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Michigan Technological University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region. Located in Houghton, Michigan, this medium-sized public school awarded 46 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Engineering at Michigan Tech

4

Out of the 33 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Case Western Reserve University landed the #4 spot on the list. Case Western is a fairly large school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 63 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 Case Western Reserve University

5

Out of the 33 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois Institute of Technology landed the #5 spot on the list. Illinois Institute of Technology is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 33 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.

Full Illinois Tech Engineering Report

6

With a ranking of #6, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s engineering degrees to 255 students in 2020-2021.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at U-M

7
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 70 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 Notre Dame Engineering Report

8

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #8. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 201 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

9
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

With a ranking of #9, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 116 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Engineering at Northwestern University

10

With a ranking of #10, University of Akron Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Akron, Ohio. It awarded 52 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Engineering at University of Akron Main Campus

11

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Ohio State is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 176 doctorate’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

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

12
Medical College of Wisconsin crest
Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Medical College of Wisconsin came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s engineering degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Engineering at Medical College of Wisconsin

13

Lawrence Technological University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Lawrence Tech is a private not-for-profit institution located in Southfield, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.

Read full report on Engineering at Lawrence Tech

14

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 64 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Engineering Report

15

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 124 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Engineering at UW - Madison

16

Wright State University - Main Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Wright State University - Main Campus is located in Dayton, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 doctorate’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

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

17
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 67 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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 Michigan State University Engineering Report

18

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 57 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Engineering at UC

19

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 16 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Engineering at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

20

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 29 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

21
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Detroit, Michigan, and it awarded 31 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Engineering at Wayne State University

22
UDayton crest
University of Dayton
Dayton, Ohio

University of Dayton came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Dayton is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dayton, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Dayton Engineering Report

23
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Western Michigan University is a public institution located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 19 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Engineering at Western Michigan University

24
University of Toledo crest
University of Toledo
Toledo, Ohio

University of Toledo did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #24. Toledo, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s engineering degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.

Full University of Toledo Engineering Report

25
Marquette crest
Marquette University
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Marquette University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #25. This fairly large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 11 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at Marquette University

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Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Nuclear Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

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Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Polymer & Plastics Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

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Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Manufacturing Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

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Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Other Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Architectural Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Architectural Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Chemical Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Computer Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Computer Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Engineering Mechanics
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Mechanics in the Great Lakes Region

Engineering Science
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Science in the Great Lakes Region

Materials Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Materials Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Metallurgical Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Metallurgical Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Marine Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Marine Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Systems Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Systems Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Industrial Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Industrial Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Operations Research
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Operations Research in the Great Lakes Region

Paper Science & Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Paper Science & Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Electrical and Computer Engineering. in the Great Lakes Region

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