2023 Best Value Colleges for General Engineering in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
25
Ranked Colleges
1,414
Degrees Awarded
$18,200
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.
General Engineering is the 96th most popular major in the country with 9,018 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,414 general engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 25 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general engineering programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general engineering program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.
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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Engineering in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 64 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,234 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students with aid per year to attend UW - Madison.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, 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 95%.
Read full report on General Engineering at UW - Madison
Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school handed out 96 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
Purdue also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $13,377 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students with aid per year to attend Purdue.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read more about General Engineering at Purdue University - Main Campus
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 14 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $14,321 for great lakes region 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 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%.
Full UIUC General Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Platteville, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 44 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering students with aid list, UW - Platteville has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $14,565 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students with aid.
Read full report on General Engineering at UW - Platteville
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Michigan State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 103 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $19,058 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students with aid per year to attend Michigan State University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about General Engineering at Michigan State
Purdue University Fort Wayne did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. PFW is a medium-sized public school situated in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It awarded 25 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at PFW, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University Fort Wayne is $11,629 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students with aid.
Read more about General Engineering at PFW
Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Allendale, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.
GVSU also took the #9 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $17,356 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Engineering at Grand Valley State University
With a ranking of #8, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UWM is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 88 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering students with aid list, UWM has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is $17,486 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students with aid.
Full UWM General Engineering Report
University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.
UIC also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $13,214 for great lakes region engineering students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Engineering at University of Illinois at Chicago
With a ranking of #10, Youngstown State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Youngstown, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
Youngstown State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $12,225 for great lakes region engineering students with aid.
Read more about General Engineering at Youngstown State University
Wright State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Wright State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Dayton, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wright State University - Main Campus, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,962 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students with aid per year to attend Wright State University - Main Campus.
Read full report on General Engineering at Wright State University - Main Campus
Purdue University Northwest did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Hammond, Indiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.
Purdue Northwest also took the #25 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University Northwest is $11,384 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students with aid.
Read more about General Engineering at Purdue Northwest
University of Southern Indiana did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. University of Southern Indiana is located in Evansville, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
USI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend USI is $13,481 for great lakes region engineering students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Engineering at USI
With a ranking of #14, University of Akron Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Akron, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering students with aid list, University of Akron Main Campus has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Akron Main Campus is $17,945 for great lakes region engineering students with aid.
Read full report on General Engineering at University of Akron Main Campus
With a ranking of #15, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 6 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $23,279 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students with aid.
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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 more about General Engineering at Northwestern
Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ohio State is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 26 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $16,845 for great lakes region engineering 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Ohio State University - Main Campus General Engineering Report
Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. Central Michigan is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Central Michigan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan is $16,007 for great lakes region engineering students with aid.
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 General Engineering Report
Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $16,285 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students with aid.
Read more about General Engineering at SIUC
Cleveland State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
Cleveland State University also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for Cleveland State University is $16,943 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students with aid.
Read more about General Engineering at Cleveland State University
Miami University - Oxford did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Miami University - Oxford is located in Oxford, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering students with aid list, Miami University - Oxford has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Miami University - Oxford is $24,756 for great lakes region engineering students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read full report on General Engineering at Miami University - Oxford
Olivet Nazarene University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Olivet Nazarene University is a small school located in Bourbonnais, Illinois that handed out 48 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Olivet Nazarene, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene University is $19,470 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Engineering at Olivet Nazarene
Milwaukee School of Engineering ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
MSOE also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend MSOE is $24,428 for great lakes region engineering students with aid.
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%.
Full MSOE General Engineering Report
With a ranking of #23, Calvin University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 85 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Calvin, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Calvin is $26,082 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Calvin University General Engineering Report
Hope College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Hope is a private not-for-profit institution located in Holland, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 53 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region engineering students with aid list, Hope has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Hope College is $26,944 for great lakes region engineering students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 General Engineering at Hope College
Case Western Reserve University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 13 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Case Western, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Case Western Reserve University is $34,214 for Great Lakes Region Engineering students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Engineering at Case Western Reserve University
