College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

129 Ranked Colleges
21,759 Degrees Awarded
$65,879 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor's

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 Great Lakes region, there were 32,891 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $69,005 and $24,728 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 21,759 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,343 and $26,790 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 129 colleges that offer a degree in engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular engineering programs in the United States.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Engineering Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s”.

1
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 2,005 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at Purdue

2

Out of the 129 schools in the Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 1,839 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,760 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Full Ohio State Engineering Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,311 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 1,016 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.

Read more about Engineering at UW - Madison

6

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #6. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 866 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, 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 88%.

Read full report on Engineering at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

7
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #7. Michigan State University is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 834 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Read more about Engineering at Michigan State

8

Michigan Technological University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Michigan Tech is a medium-sized school located in Houghton, Michigan that handed out 721 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Engineering at Michigan Technological University

9

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 540 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read more about Engineering at UIC

10

University of Toledo did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #10. University of Toledo is a fairly large school located in Toledo, Ohio that handed out 536 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Engineering at University of Toledo

11

University of Wisconsin - Platteville ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s list. Platteville, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 493 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

12

University of Akron Main Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Akron Main Campus is a public institution located in Akron, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 424 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full University of Akron Main Campus Engineering Report

13

Case Western Reserve University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 420 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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 Case Western

14

Milwaukee School of Engineering came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. MSOE is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 402 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Milwaukee School of Engineering Engineering Report

15
Kettering crest
Kettering University
Flint, Michigan

Kettering University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #15. Kettering is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Flint, Michigan. It awarded 365 bachelors’s engineering degrees 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%. 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 Kettering

16

Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #16. Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution located in Terre Haute, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 363 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology Engineering Report

17

University of Michigan - Dearborn ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Dearborn, Michigan, this medium-sized public school handed out 360 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read full report on Engineering at UM Dearborn

18
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University ranked #18 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 358 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

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%.

Full Oakland Engineering Report

19
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #19. This fairly large school is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, and it awarded 319 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Notre Dame Engineering Report

19
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

With a ranking of #19, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s list. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 319 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

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. The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Engineering at Northwestern

21

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s list. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 317 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at IUPUI

21

University of Dayton ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s list. University of Dayton is a fairly large school located in Dayton, Ohio that handed out 317 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Dayton Engineering Report

23
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Wayne State University is located in Detroit, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 306 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Full Wayne State Engineering Report

24

Illinois Institute of Technology landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 292 diplomas to qualified bachelors’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%. 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology

25

Cleveland State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #25. Cleveland State University is a fairly large school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 286 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Engineering at Cleveland State University

Switch to a More Focused Major

General Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for General Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Agricultural Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Agricultural Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Biomedical Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Biomedical Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Civil Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Civil Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Electrical Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Electrical Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Engineering Physics
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Physics in the Great Lakes Region

Environmental Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Environmental Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Mechanical Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Marine Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Marine Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Ocean Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Ocean Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Systems Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Systems Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Construction Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Construction Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Manufacturing Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Manufacturing Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Geoscience Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geoscience Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Robotics Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Robotics Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Biological Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Biological Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Energy Systems Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Energy Systems Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Architectural Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Architectural Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Chemical Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Computer Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Computer Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Engineering Mechanics
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Mechanics in the Great Lakes Region

Engineering Science
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Science in the Great Lakes Region

Materials Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Materials Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Mining Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Mining Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Nuclear Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Nuclear Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Petroleum Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Petroleum Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Polymer & Plastics Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Polymer & Plastics Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Industrial Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Industrial Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Surveying Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Surveying Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Paper Science & Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Paper Science & Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Engineering Chemistry
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Chemistry in the Great Lakes Region

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

Other Engineering
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Other Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options