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2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

15 Ranked Colleges
795 Degrees Awarded
$10,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 11,925 people earned their degree in general engineering, making the major the 78th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, general engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $66,152 and had an average of $20,077 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southeast region, there were 2,718 general engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $63,108 and $18,564 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 795 general engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 15 colleges that offered a degree 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 15 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region

#1

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, North Carolina State University landed the #1 spot on the list. North Carolina State University is a public institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 49 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

NC State also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NC State is $7,285 for southeast region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 NC State General Engineering Report

#2

McNeese State University

Lake Charles, Louisiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend McNeese State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. McNeese State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Lake Charles, Louisiana. It awarded 94 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

McNeese also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend McNeese State University is $11,892 for southeast region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Engineering at McNeese

#3

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi
#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Mississippi. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Mississippi is a large public school situated in University, Mississippi. It awarded 17 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Ole Miss did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $9,455 for southeast region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ole Miss.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about General Engineering at University of Mississippi

#4

University of North Carolina at Asheville

Asheville, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Asheville. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of North Carolina at Asheville is located in Asheville, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 38 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

UNCA also took the #8 spot in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Asheville is $8,063 for southeast region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UNCA General Engineering Report

#5

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, this large public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia is $8,882 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%.

Read full report on General Engineering at University of Virginia - Main Campus

#11 in overall quality

The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Chattanooga also took the #11 spot in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Chattanooga is $8,108 for southeast region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Engineering at The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

#7

East Carolina University

Greenville, North Carolina

East Carolina University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. East Carolina University is a large school located in Greenville, North Carolina that handed out 134 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

ECU also made our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend East Carolina University is $11,026 for southeast region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Engineering at ECU

#8

Marshall University

Huntington, West Virginia

Marshall University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Marshall University is a public institution located in Huntington, West Virginia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Marshall University, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Marshall University is $5,770 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Marshall University General Engineering Report

#9

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. James Madison University is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 78 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, JMU has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $14,196 for southeast region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend James Madison University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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%.

Full James Madison University General Engineering Report

#10

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, North Carolina
#13 in overall quality

Western Carolina University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cullowhee, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 34 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, WCU has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $9,188 for southeast region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Western Carolina University.

Read full report on General Engineering at WCU

With a ranking of #11, The University of Tennessee - Martin did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Tennessee - Martin is a public institution located in Martin, Tennessee. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Martin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UT Martin is $7,524 for southeast region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Engineering at The University of Tennessee - Martin

#12

Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville, Tennessee
#10 in overall quality

Tennessee Technological University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Cookeville, Tennessee, this fairly large public school handed out 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

Tennessee Tech University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Tennessee Technological University is $11,641 for southeast region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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 Tennessee Tech University General Engineering Report

#13

Mercer University

Macon, Georgia

Mercer University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Mercer University is a medium-sized school located in Macon, Georgia that handed out 146 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Mercer has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mercer is $17,437 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Engineering at Mercer University

#14

John Brown University

Siloam Springs, Arkansas

With a ranking of #14, John Brown University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. John Brown University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. It awarded 19 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

JBU also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $17,426 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend JBU.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Engineering at John Brown University

#15

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, Virginia
#12 in overall quality

Old Dominion University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Norfolk, Virginia, this large public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

Old Dominion also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $12,017 for southeast region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Old Dominion.

Full Old Dominion General Engineering Report

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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

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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