2023 Best Value Colleges for General Engineering (Income $0-$30k)
158
Ranked Colleges
11,796
Degrees Awarded
$6,500
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
General Engineering is the 79th most popular major in the country with 11,796 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, general engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $68,873 and had an average of $20,557 in loans still to pay off.
This year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 158 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 Those Making $0-$30k”.
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. 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 For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Engineering (Income $0-$30k)
Out of the 158 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Brown University landed the #1 spot on the list. Brown University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Providence, Rhode Island. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 142 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Brown did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Brown University is $1,468 for Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Brown General Engineering Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Olin College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Needham, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 33 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
Olin College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Olin College is $2,008 for Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about General Engineering at Olin College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 64 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $3,981 for engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read more about General Engineering at UW - Madison
Out of the 158 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #4 spot on the list. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 6 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best General Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $245 for Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Northwestern University General Engineering Report
Out of the 158 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Johns Hopkins University landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 6 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Johns Hopkins, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins is $2,084 for Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on General Engineering at Johns Hopkins
Vanderbilt University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Vanderbilt University is a fairly large school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 10 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vanderbilt, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,176 for Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Vanderbilt.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.
Full Vanderbilt University General Engineering Report
With a ranking of #7, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school handed out 96 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Purdue has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,995 for Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 Purdue General Engineering Report
University of Maryland - College Park ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UMCP is located in College Park, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 381 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMCP has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Maryland - College Park is $6,067 for engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on General Engineering at University of Maryland - College Park
With a ranking of #9, Massachusetts Maritime Academy did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Maritime is a small school located in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts that handed out 60 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Maritime also made our “Best General Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for Maritime is $6,379 for engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Massachusetts Maritime Academy General Engineering Report
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 14 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC also made our “Best General Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $4,858 for Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Engineering at UIUC
With a ranking of #11, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 123 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Davis has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $10,006 for Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.
Read full report on General Engineering at UC Davis
Dartmouth College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Dartmouth College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hanover, New Hampshire. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 153 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Dartmouth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Dartmouth is $6,034 for Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, 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 96%.
Read full report on General Engineering at Dartmouth
University of California - Berkeley ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 5 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best General Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $8,450 for engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of California - Berkeley General Engineering Report
Carnegie Mellon University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 35 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Carnegie Mellon also made our “Best General Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for Carnegie Mellon University is $16,456 for Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 full report on General Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University
University of California - Los Angeles ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 58 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA also made our “Best General Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $9,037 for Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCLA.
The school has an impressive undergrad 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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about General Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles
Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. ASU - Tempe is a large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 174 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, ASU - Tempe has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,969 for Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Arizona State University - Tempe.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.
Full Arizona State University - Tempe General Engineering Report
With a ranking of #17, Swarthmore College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $4,594 for engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Swarthmore College.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 86%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on General Engineering at Swarthmore
North Carolina State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. North Carolina State University is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 52 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, NC State has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,283 for Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Carolina State University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full NC State General Engineering Report
Northeastern University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 320 students in 2020-2021.
Northeastern also made our “Best General Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern University is $10,240 for Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Engineering at Northeastern University
Tufts University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Medford, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,122 for Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Tufts.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Tufts University General Engineering Report
Michigan State University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school handed out 103 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $6,927 for Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Read more about General Engineering at Michigan State University
Austin Community College District did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Austin Community College District is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 85 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Austin Community College District is $3,264 for Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on General Engineering at Austin Community College District
Smith College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Smith College is located in Northampton, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $9,215 for Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Smith College.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Smith College General Engineering Report
Cornell University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cornell is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 13 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Cornell also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Engineering Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best General Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Cornell University is $5,244 for Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Engineering at Cornell University
Lafayette College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. This small school is located in Easton, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 19 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Lafayette College is $11,728 for Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Lafayette College General Engineering Report
