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2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

81 Ranked Colleges
2,839 Degrees Awarded
$15,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

General Engineering is the 83rd most popular major in the country with 9,411 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,839 general engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 81 colleges that offer a degree in general engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general engineering programs, but they also 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 general engineering program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank General 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 “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid”.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Engineering (With Aid)

#1

McNeese State University

Lake Charles, Louisiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend McNeese State University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and it awarded 94 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for McNeese is $12,267 for bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

Read full report on General Engineering at McNeese

#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Davis. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 129 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $14,669 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid per year to attend University of California - Davis.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, 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.

Full UC Davis General Engineering Report

Out of the 81 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #3 spot on the list. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $9,622 for bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Engineering at California State University - Long Beach

#4

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#15 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Michigan State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 125 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $19,173 for bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid per year to attend Michigan State University.

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

Read more about General Engineering at Michigan State University

#5

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend North Carolina State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Raleigh, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 49 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,458 for bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid per year to attend NC State.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Engineering at North Carolina State University

#6

College of Staten Island CUNY

Staten Island, New York

College of Staten Island CUNY did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in Staten Island, New York, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for College of Staten Island CUNY is $5,118 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

Read full report on General Engineering at College of Staten Island CUNY

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Arizona State University - Tempe is a large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 192 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Arizona State University - Tempe is $11,706 for bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Engineering at ASU - Tempe

#8

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
#8 in overall quality

Swarthmore College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Swarthmore College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Swarthmore also made our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Swarthmore College is $19,184 for bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Engineering at Swarthmore College

#9

University of North Carolina at Asheville

Asheville, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Asheville ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Asheville, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,061 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid per year to attend UNCA.

Read full report on General Engineering at UNCA

#10

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Utah is a large public school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 2 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Utah is $14,773 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, 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 89%.

Read more about General Engineering at U of U

#11

East Carolina University

Greenville, North Carolina

East Carolina University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. East Carolina University is located in Greenville, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 134 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend East Carolina University is $15,844 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

Read full report on General Engineering at East Carolina University

#12

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi

University of Mississippi came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Mississippi is a large public school situated in University, Mississippi. It awarded 17 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Ole Miss is $14,016 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

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

Read full report on General Engineering at University of Mississippi

Montana Technological University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Butte, Montana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 57 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,023 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid per year to attend Montana Tech.

Full Montana Technological University General Engineering Report

With a ranking of #14, The University of Texas at El Paso did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. The University of Texas at El Paso is a public institution located in El Paso, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UTEP is $8,920 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

Full The University of Texas at El Paso General Engineering Report

#15

Marshall University

Huntington, West Virginia

With a ranking of #15, Marshall University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Marshall University is located in Huntington, West Virginia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $8,370 for bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid per year to attend Marshall University.

Full Marshall University General Engineering Report

#16

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. USI is a public institution located in Evansville, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,437 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid per year to attend University of Southern Indiana.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Engineering at University of Southern Indiana

#17

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia
#23 in overall quality

James Madison University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. JMU is a public institution located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

JMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend JMU is $22,169 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 89%.

Full JMU General Engineering Report

#18

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
#3 in overall quality

Brown University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Brown University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Providence, Rhode Island. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 65 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Brown did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $29,392 for bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid per year to attend Brown.

The impressive 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 student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Engineering at Brown

Minnesota State University - Mankato ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a fairly large school located in Mankato, Minnesota that handed out 39 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Minnesota State Mankato is $16,221 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Engineering at Minnesota State University - Mankato

#20

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid list, University of Virginia has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $20,397 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid per year to attend University of Virginia.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Virginia - Main Campus General Engineering Report

#21

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas
#20 in overall quality

Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. This large school is located in College Station, Texas, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas A&M College Station, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M College Station is $19,057 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

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 student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Texas A&M University - College Station General Engineering Report

Michigan Technological University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Michigan Technological University is a medium-sized public school situated in Houghton, Michigan. It awarded 3 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Michigan Technological University is $16,463 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 86%.

Full Michigan Technological University General Engineering Report

#23

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook, New York

Stony Brook University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. SUNY Stony Brook is located in Stony Brook, New York and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend SUNY Stony Brook is $15,160 for bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, 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 90%.

Read full report on General Engineering at SUNY Stony Brook

#24

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, North Carolina

Western Carolina University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Western Carolina University is located in Cullowhee, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 34 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend WCU is $13,722 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

Read full report on General Engineering at WCU

The University of Tennessee - Martin ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. The University of Tennessee - Martin is located in Martin, Tennessee and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for UT Martin is $10,955 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

Read full report on General Engineering at UT Martin

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

Footnotes

  • *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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Rémi Kaupp.

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