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2024 Best Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region

62 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
31,674 Engineering Degrees Awarded
$69,006 Avg Early-Career Salary
Engineering is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #7 most popular degree program in the country. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

College Factual reviewed 62 schools in the Great Lakes Region to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of engineering. Combined, these schools handed out 31,674 degrees in engineering to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Engineering School

Best Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region Your choice of engineering school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Engineering School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Engineering Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Engineering
Bachelor's Degrees in Engineering
Master's Degrees in Engineering
Doctor's Degrees in Engineering

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 Schools in the Great Lakes Region. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in Engineering

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
731 Engineering Degrees Awarded
$80,363 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat Northwestern University if you wish to pursue a degree in engineering. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were about 731 engineering students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Those engineering students who get their degree from Northwestern University make $11,357 more than the standard engineering graduate.

More information about a degree in engineering from Northwestern University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2,557 Engineering Degrees Awarded
$80,347 Median Starting Salary

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a wonderful decision for students interested in a degree in engineering. U-M is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor. A Best Colleges rank of #29 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were roughly 2557 engineering students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent year we have data available. Those engineering students who get their degree from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor earn $11,341 more than the average engineering student.

More information about a degree in engineering from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,571 Engineering Degrees Awarded
$71,665 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in engineering has to take a look at University of Wisconsin - Madison. Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were about 1571 engineering students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the engineering program at University of Wisconsin - Madison get $2,659 more than the standard college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in engineering from University of Wisconsin - Madison

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
560 Engineering Degrees Awarded
12.1% Growth in Graduates

University of Notre Dame is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in engineering. Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #20 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.

There were about 560 engineering students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent year we have data available. Engineering degree recipients from University of Notre Dame receive an earnings boost of around $5,648 over the typical earnings of engineering graduates.

More information about a degree in engineering from University of Notre Dame

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3,404 Engineering Degrees Awarded
6.7% Growth in Graduates

Purdue is a very large public university located in the city of West Lafayette. A Best Colleges rank of #40 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Purdue is a great university overall.

There were roughly 3404 engineering students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent year we have data available. Those engineering students who get their degree from Purdue University - Main Campus make $5,204 more than the average engineering graduate.

More information about a degree in engineering from Purdue University - Main Campus

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2,541 Engineering Degrees Awarded
$70,551 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 2541 engineering students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. After graduating, engineering degree recipients usually make about $70,551 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
616 Engineering Degrees Awarded
0.2% Growth in Graduates

Case Western is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Cleveland. A Best Colleges rank of #63 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Case Western is a great university overall.

There were approximately 616 engineering students who graduated with this degree at Case Western in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, engineering degree recipients generally make an average of $67,836 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in engineering from Case Western Reserve University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
318 Engineering Degrees Awarded
$70,522 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Terre Haute, Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

There were approximately 318 engineering students who graduated with this degree at Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the engineering program report average early career wages of $70,522.

More information about a degree in engineering from Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2,203 Engineering Degrees Awarded
$67,481 Median Starting Salary

Ohio State is a very large public university located in the city of Columbus. A Best Colleges rank of #69 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Ohio State is a great university overall.

There were about 2203 engineering students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the engineering program report average early career wages of $67,481.

More information about a degree in engineering from Ohio State University - Main Campus

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,024 Engineering Degrees Awarded
$68,293 Median Starting Salary

Located in the remote town of Houghton, Michigan Tech is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #112 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Michigan Tech is a great university overall.

There were roughly 1024 engineering students who graduated with this degree at Michigan Tech in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the engineering program report average early career wages of $68,293.

More information about a degree in engineering from Michigan Technological University

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.

RankCollegeLocation
11Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI
12University of DaytonDayton, OH
13Kettering UniversityFlint, MI
14Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, WI
15Hope CollegeHolland, MI

Best Engineering Colleges by State

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

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Indiana385,328
Michigan388,498
Ohio388,341
Illinois386,581
Wisconsin373,379

View All Rankings >

Engineering Majors to Study

MajorAnnual Graduates
Mechanical Engineering7,839
Electrical Engineering4,071
Computer Engineering3,068
Civil Engineering2,640
Chemical Engineering2,255
Biomedical Engineering1,942
Industrial Engineering1,686
General Engineering1,677
Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering1,443
Materials Engineering731

View All Engineering Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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