2024 Best Engineering Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Engineering is about average in terms of popularity for associate degrees programs. That is, it ranks #20 out of the 38 majors across the country that we analyze each year. As such, the degree program isn't offered at every college in the United States, but there are schools that do have a program in the field that are top-notch when it comes to quality.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools in the Great Lakes Region to determine which ones were the best for engineering students pursuing a associate degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 718 associate degrees in engineering during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

• Best Associate Degree Schools List

Choosing a Great Engineering School for Your Associate Degree

The engineering associate degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality engineering program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To account for this we include a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a host of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of associate graduates during the early years of their career. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their associate degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

• Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to engineering students as compared to other majors.
• Major Demand - How many other engineering students want to attend this school to pursue a associate degree.
• Educational Resources - How many resources are allocated to students. These resources may include educational expenditures per student, number of students per instructor, and graduation rate among other things.
• Student Debt - How easy is it for engineering to pay back their student loans after receiving their associate degree.
• Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized engineering related body.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for engineering students working on their associate degree.

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 the Best Engineering Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region.

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for engineering students seeking a an associate degree.

Top Great Lakes Region Schools for an Associate in Engineering

1

University of Wisconsin - Platteville
Platteville, WI

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

3 Annual Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in an associate degree in engineering has to check out University of Wisconsin - Platteville. Located in the distant town of Platteville, UW - Platteville is a public university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a associate in engineering from University of Wisconsin - Platteville

2

Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI

Ferris State University is a good option for students pursuing an associate degree in engineering. Located in the town of Big Rapids, Ferris is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in engineering from Ferris State University

3

Lake Superior State University
Sault Ste Marie, MI

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

1 Annual Graduates

It's difficult to beat Lake Superior State University if you wish to pursue an associate degree in engineering. Located in the town of Sault Ste Marie, Lake Superior State University is a public university with a small student population.More information about a associate in engineering from Lake Superior State University

4

Rasmussen University - Illinois
Rockford, IL

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

3 Annual Graduates

Rasmussen University - Illinois is one of the best schools in the country for getting an associate degree in engineering. Located in the city of Rockford, Rasmussen University - Illinois is a private for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a associate in engineering from Rasmussen University - Illinois

5

Rasmussen University - Wisconsin
Green Bay, WI

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

1 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Green Bay, Rasmussen University - Wisconsin is a private for-profit university with a fairly small student population.More information about a associate in engineering from Rasmussen University - Wisconsin

Best Engineering Colleges by State

Explore the best engineering schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

State	Colleges	Degrees Awarded
Michigan	38	189
Ohio	36	133
Indiana	35	38
Wisconsin	31	8
Illinois	30	332

View All Rankings >

Engineering Majors to Study

Major	Annual Graduates
General Engineering	588
Robotics Engineering	30
Engineering Physics	20
Industrial Engineering	20
Engineering Science	16
Electromechanical Engineering	15
Mechanical Engineering	11
Agricultural Engineering	7
Civil Engineering	4
Computer Engineering	4

Majors Similar to Engineering

Related Major	Annual Graduates
Engineering Technologies	4,374
Agriculture & Agriculture Operations	1,801
Biological & Biomedical Sciences	289
Natural Resources & Conservation	213
Science Technologies / Technicians	202
Physical Sciences	104
Architecture & Related Services	36
Mathematics & Statistics	26
Military Technologies & Applied Sciences	2

Notes and References

• The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
• 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 the rest 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).
• Credit for the banner image above goes to Petty Officer 3rd Class Declan Barnes. More about our data sources and methodologies.