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2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region

17 Ranked Colleges
692 Degrees Awarded
$28,500 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 Plains States region, there were 11,973 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $66,381 and $24,851 respectively. At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 692 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,829 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region” ranking, we looked at 17 colleges that offer a degree in engineering. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in engineering.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 Plains States Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region doctor’s degree engineering students.

Top 17 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering in the Plains States Region

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region list. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a medium-sized public school situated in Rolla, Missouri. It awarded 87 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

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 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%.

Full Missouri University of Science and Technology Engineering Report

2

Out of the 17 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. SD Mines is located in Rapid City, South Dakota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 doctorate’s engineering degrees to qualified 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%.

Read more about Engineering at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

3
Mayo Clinic School of Medicine crest
Mayo Clinic School of Medicine
Rochester, Minnesota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Mayo Clinic School of Medicine. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region list. Rochester, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s engineering degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Mayo Clinic School of Medicine Engineering Report

4

Out of the 17 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school handed out 106 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, 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 Iowa State

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region list. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s engineering degrees to 145 students 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.

Full UMN Twin Cities Engineering Report

6
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

Washington University in St Louis ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 48 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Engineering at WUSTL

7

With a ranking of #7, University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region list. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is a large school located in Lincoln, Nebraska that handed out 51 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Engineering at UNL

8

University of Missouri - Columbia ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region list. University of Missouri - Columbia is a public institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 58 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 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 Missouri - Columbia Engineering Report

9

North Dakota State University - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region ranking. North Dakota State University is a public institution located in Fargo, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Full North Dakota State University - Main Campus Engineering Report

10
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region list. Located in Lawrence, Kansas, this large public school awarded 38 degrees to qualified doctorate’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

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 more about Engineering at University of Kansas

11
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

With a ranking of #11, University of North Dakota did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region list. UND is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 16 doctorate’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 UND Engineering Report

12
K -State crest
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas

With a ranking of #12, Kansas State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region list. Kansas State University is a large public school situated in Manhattan, Kansas. It awarded 28 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.

Read full report on Engineering at Kansas State University

13
South Dakota State crest
South Dakota State University
Brookings, South Dakota

South Dakota State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Brookings, South Dakota, this fairly large public school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

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 South Dakota State University

14
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s engineering degrees to 39 students in 2020-2021.

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 more about Engineering at Iowa

15
WSU crest
Wichita State University
Wichita, Kansas

With a ranking of #15, Wichita State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region list. WSU is a public institution located in Wichita, Kansas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full WSU Engineering Report

16
SLU crest
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, Missouri

Saint Louis University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #16. SLU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 5 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate 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.

Full SLU Engineering Report

17
USD crest
University of South Dakota
Vermillion, South Dakota

With a ranking of #17, University of South Dakota did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Engineering Major in the Plains States Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Vermillion, South Dakota, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.

Full University of South Dakota Engineering Report

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Engineering Mechanics
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Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Environmental Engineering in the Plains States Region

Mechanical Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in the Plains States Region

Mining Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Mining Engineering in the Plains States Region

Petroleum Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Petroleum Engineering in the Plains States Region

Industrial Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Industrial Engineering in the Plains States Region

Electromechanical Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Electromechanical Engineering in the Plains States Region

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

Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering in the Plains States Region

Architectural Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Architectural Engineering in the Plains States Region

Ceramic Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Ceramic Engineering in the Plains States Region

Civil Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Civil Engineering in the Plains States Region

Electrical Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Electrical Engineering in the Plains States Region

Engineering Science
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Science in the Plains States Region

Materials Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Materials Engineering in the Plains States Region

Metallurgical Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Metallurgical Engineering in the Plains States Region

Nuclear Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Nuclear Engineering in the Plains States Region

Systems Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Systems Engineering in the Plains States Region

Geoscience Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Geoscience Engineering in the Plains States Region

Biological Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Biological Engineering in the Plains States Region

Other Engineering
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Other Engineering in the Plains States Region

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Notes and References

References

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