22
Ranked Colleges
1,345
Degrees Awarded
$18,200
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 6,736 people earned their degree in engineering-related fields, making the major the 112th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, engineering-related fields graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $77,404 and had an average of $26,200 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,345 engineering-related fields graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,498 and $28,325 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 22 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in engineering-related fields. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great engineering-related fields programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the engineering-related fields program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” 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. 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.
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering-related fields degrees to 84 students in 2020-2021.
Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $13,377 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students with aid.
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-Related Fields at Purdue University - Main Campus
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Michigan State University landed the #2 spot on the list. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering-related fields degrees to 149 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering-related fields students with aid list, Michigan State has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $19,058 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Michigan State Engineering-Related Fields Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering-related fields degrees to 55 students in 2020-2021.
IUPUI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $12,416 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students with aid.
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 more about Engineering-Related Fields at IUPUI
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University Northwest landed the #4 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Hammond, Indiana, and it awarded 54 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2020-2021.
Purdue Northwest also took the #17 spot in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue Northwest is $11,384 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students with aid.
Read more about Engineering-Related Fields at Purdue Northwest
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Stout landed the #5 spot on the list. Menomonie, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering-related fields degrees to 49 students in 2020-2021.
UW - Stout not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,589 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students with aid per year to attend UW - Stout.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Wisconsin - Stout Engineering-Related Fields Report
University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. Dearborn, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering-related fields degrees to 50 students in 2020-2021.
UM Dearborn also took the #18 spot in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UM Dearborn is $12,855 for great lakes region engineering-related fields students with aid.
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-Related Fields at University of Michigan - Dearborn
Wayne State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Detroit, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering-related fields degrees to 24 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wayne State, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,962 for great lakes region engineering-related fields students with aid per year to attend Wayne State University.
Read full report on Engineering-Related Fields at Wayne State University
Northwestern University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 33 degrees to qualified ’s engineering-related fields students in 2020-2021.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $23,279 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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-Related Fields at Northwestern University
With a ranking of #9, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 62 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC also made our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $14,321 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Engineering-Related Fields at UIUC
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Bowling Green, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 100 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
BGSU also made our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for BGSU is $18,558 for great lakes region engineering-related fields students with aid.
Read more about Engineering-Related Fields at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Central Michigan is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Central Michigan also took the #16 spot in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,007 for great lakes region engineering-related fields students with aid per year to attend Central Michigan.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 Central Michigan Engineering-Related Fields Report
Eastern Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Eastern Michigan University is a public institution located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 52 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering-related fields students with aid list, Eastern Michigan has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Michigan is $15,127 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students with aid.
Full Eastern Michigan Engineering-Related Fields Report
Michigan Technological University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Houghton, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering-related fields degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering-related fields students with aid list, Michigan Tech has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan Technological University is $15,384 for great lakes region engineering-related fields students with aid.
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 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-Related Fields at Michigan Tech
Oakland University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Oakland University is a fairly large public school situated in Rochester Hills, Michigan. It awarded 48 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2020-2021.
Oakland did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Oakland is $13,449 for great lakes region engineering-related fields students with aid.
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%.
Read more about Engineering-Related Fields at Oakland
With a ranking of #15, Indiana State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Indiana State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Terre Haute, Indiana. It awarded 15 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2020-2021.
Indiana State also made our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana State is $14,270 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students with aid.
Read full report on Engineering-Related Fields at Indiana State
Western Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. WMU is a fairly large public school situated in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It awarded 22 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2020-2021.
WMU also took the #19 spot in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WMU is $20,371 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students with aid.
Read more about Engineering-Related Fields at Western Michigan University
Miami University - Oxford landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Oxford, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 17 degrees to qualified ’s engineering-related fields students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering-related fields students with aid list, Miami University - Oxford has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $24,756 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students with aid per year to attend Miami University - Oxford.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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-Related Fields at Miami University - Oxford
Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. OHIO Athens is a large public school situated in Athens, Ohio. It awarded 129 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at OHIO Athens, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio University - Athens Campus is $23,831 for great lakes region engineering-related fields students with aid.
Read full report on Engineering-Related Fields at OHIO Athens
Illinois Institute of Technology ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 58 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2020-2021.
Illinois Tech also took the #5 spot in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Institute of Technology is $23,772 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 Illinois Institute of Technology Engineering-Related Fields Report
Northern Illinois University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. NIU is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 19 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2020-2021.
NIU also made our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $13,956 for great lakes region engineering-related fields students with aid per year to attend Northern Illinois University.
Full Northern Illinois University Engineering-Related Fields Report
University of Dayton ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Dayton, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s engineering-related fields degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UDayton, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $29,928 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students with aid per year to attend University of Dayton.
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 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%.
Read full report on Engineering-Related Fields at University of Dayton
With a ranking of #22, Case Western Reserve University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 17 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering-related fields students with aid list, Case Western has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Case Western Reserve University is $34,214 for Great Lakes Region Engineering-Related Fields students with aid.
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 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 more about Engineering-Related Fields at Case Western Reserve University
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Notes and References
References
- 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 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
