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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Civil Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

49 Ranked Colleges
2,925 Degrees Awarded
$30,300 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Civil Engineering is the 50th most popular major in the country with 21,388 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, civil engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $63,364 and had an average of $24,364 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 2,925 civil engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $62,958 and $25,172 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 49 colleges that offered a degree in civil engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular civil engineering programs in the United States.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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The civil eng 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 “Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region”.

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 403 diplomas to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Civil Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

2
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 273 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Purdue

3

Out of the 49 schools in the Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 174 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.

Full Ohio State Civil Engineering Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 157 degrees to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.

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

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Civil Engineering Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 133 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at UIC

6

With a ranking of #6, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region list. UC is a large school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 107 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Civil Engineering at UC

7

With a ranking of #7, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 98 ’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

8

With a ranking of #8, University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is located in Platteville, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 96 ’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at UW - Platteville

9
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 90 students in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Michigan State University Civil Engineering Report

10

Michigan Technological University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Michigan Tech is a medium-sized school located in Houghton, Michigan that handed out 87 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Full Michigan Technological University Civil Engineering Report

11

University of Akron Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Akron, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 82 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Civil Engineering at University of Akron Main Campus

12

Cleveland State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #12. Cleveland State University is a fairly large school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 81 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Cleveland State University

13

Ohio University - Athens Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Athens, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 100 students in 2020-2021.

Full OHIO Athens Civil Engineering Report

14

With a ranking of #14, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region list. SIUE is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 73 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at SIUE

15
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 72 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Northwestern University

16
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 67 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 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%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at University of Notre Dame

17
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Western Michigan University is a public institution located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 63 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Western Michigan University Civil Engineering Report

18
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #18. Detroit, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 61 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Wayne State

19

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee ranked #19 on this year’s Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is a public institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 60 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at UWM

20

University of Toledo ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Toledo is a fairly large school located in Toledo, Ohio that handed out 57 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Full University of Toledo Civil Engineering Report

21

University of Dayton landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UDayton is a fairly large school located in Dayton, Ohio that handed out 56 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at UDayton

22

Youngstown State University ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Youngstown, Ohio, and it awarded 54 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Youngstown State University

23

With a ranking of #23, Milwaukee School of Engineering did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region list. MSOE is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 48 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at MSOE

24

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region list. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 47 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

25
Marquette crest
Marquette University
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #25, Marquette University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Marquette is a private not-for-profit institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 45 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Marquette

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Notes and References

References

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