Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

General Engineering

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for General Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

90 Ranked Colleges
2,826 Degrees Awarded
$27,200 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master's For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 2,826 general engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 90 colleges that offer 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank General Engineering Schools

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 Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for General Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dartmouth College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Hanover, New Hampshire, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 165 degrees to qualified masters’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

Dartmouth also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Dartmouth are $58,120.

Read full report on General Engineering at Dartmouth College

#2

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brown University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brown is a medium-sized school located in Providence, Rhode Island that handed out 56 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Brown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Brown are $60,363.

Full Brown University General Engineering Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 72 diplomas to qualified masters’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Madison are $25,523, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#4

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland

Out of the 90 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Maryland - College Park landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Maryland - College Park is a large public school situated in College Park, Maryland. It awarded 353 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UMCP also made our “Best General Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #4. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Maryland - College Park are $30,885, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Maryland - College Park General Engineering Report

#7 in overall quality

Out of the 90 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified masters’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best General Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on General Engineering at UIUC

#6

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts

Northeastern University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s 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 masters’s engineering degrees to 265 students in 2019-2020.

Northeastern also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northeastern University are $25,558.

Read full report on General Engineering at Northeastern

#7

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 44 degrees to qualified masters’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

UCLA also made our “Best General Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #11. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Los Angeles are $28,131.

Read more about General Engineering at UCLA

#8

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#12 in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school handed out 46 diplomas to qualified masters’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best General Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue are $28,794.

Read more about General Engineering at Purdue University - Main Campus

#9 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 8 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best General Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Berkeley are $29,347.

Read full report on General Engineering at University of California - Berkeley

#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 masters’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best General Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Irvine are $28,456, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Engineering at UC Irvine

California State University - Fresno came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fresno State is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 masters’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Fresno are $17,581.

Read more about General Engineering at Fresno State

#12

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. NC State is a large public school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 16 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

NC State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best General Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at NC State are $28,999.

Read more about General Engineering at NC State

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school awarded 29 diplomas to qualified masters’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio State University - Main Campus are $37,141, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Engineering at Ohio State

Michigan Technological University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan Technological University is a medium-sized school located in Houghton, Michigan that handed out 1 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan Tech are $21,996, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Michigan Technological University General Engineering Report

#15

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Riverside is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 50 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Riverside are $28,686, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Engineering at UCR

#16

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is a medium-sized public school situated in Platteville, Wisconsin. It awarded 59 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Platteville also took the #25 spot in our “Best General Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Platteville are $18,226, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Wisconsin - Platteville General Engineering Report

#17

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

With a ranking of #17, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 14 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UGA are $27,476.

Read full report on General Engineering at UGA

#18

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

The University of West Florida ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Pensacola, Florida, and it awarded 1 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UWF are $24,894, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Engineering at UWF

#19

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

Purdue University Northwest landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Purdue Northwest is a medium-sized school located in Hammond, Indiana that handed out 8 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue Northwest are $11,633, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Purdue Northwest General Engineering Report

#20

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas
#13 in overall quality

Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in College Station, Texas, this large public school handed out 16 degrees to qualified masters’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station also made our “Best General Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #13. Average graduate tuition and fees at Texas A&M College Station are $22,743, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Engineering at Texas A&M College Station

#21

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

With a ranking of #21, Grand Valley State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Allendale, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s engineering degrees to 34 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at GVSU are $17,448, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full GVSU General Engineering Report

#22

Louisiana Tech University

Ruston, Louisiana

Louisiana Tech University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Louisiana Tech is a fairly large school located in Ruston, Louisiana that handed out 32 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Louisiana Tech are $12,690.

Read more about General Engineering at Louisiana Tech

California State University - Long Beach ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 masters’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Long Beach are $17,784, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on General Engineering at California State University - Long Beach

Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this large public school awarded 36 diplomas to qualified masters’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Arizona State University - Tempe are $27,048.

Read full report on General Engineering at ASU - Tempe

The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. This fairly large school is located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and it awarded 22 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UT Chattanooga are $18,334, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

Switch to a Similar Major

Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Architectural Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Architectural Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Ceramic Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Ceramic Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Civil Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Civil Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Electrical Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Electrical Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Engineering Physics
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Engineering Physics (Income $0-$30k)

Environmental Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Environmental Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Mechanical Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Mining Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Mining Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Nuclear Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Nuclear Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Petroleum Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Petroleum Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Textile Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Textile Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Construction Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Construction Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Manufacturing Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Manufacturing Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Surveying Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Surveying Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Paper Science & Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Paper Science & Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Biochemical Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Biochemical Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Electrical and Computer Engineering. (Income $0-$30k)

Other Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Other Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Agricultural Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Agricultural Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Biomedical Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Biomedical Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Chemical Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Computer Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Computer Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Engineering Mechanics
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Engineering Mechanics (Income $0-$30k)

Engineering Science
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Engineering Science (Income $0-$30k)

Materials Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Materials Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Metallurgical Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Metallurgical Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Marine Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Marine Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Ocean Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Ocean Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Systems Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Systems Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Polymer & Plastics Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Polymer & Plastics Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Industrial Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Industrial Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Operations Research
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Operations Research (Income $0-$30k)

Geoscience Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Geoscience Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Robotics Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Robotics Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Biological Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Biological Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

Energy Systems Engineering
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Energy Systems Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

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.

Featured Engineering Schools

Find Schools Near You