2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States 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. 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 a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 Plains States region, there were 559 general engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $61,000 and $14,944 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 63 general engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $53,438 and $39,783 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 5 colleges that offer a degree in general engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general engineering programs that also have a lower cost than 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 a Master’s in the Plains States Region 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 a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 5 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for General Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

#1

University of Missouri - Columbia

Columbia, Missouri

#4 in overall quality

$27,193 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - Columbia. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s engineering degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

Mizzou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Missouri - Columbia are $27,193.

Read more about General Engineering at Mizzou

#2

University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Lincoln, Nebraska

#1 in overall quality

$19,513 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is a public institution located in Lincoln, Nebraska. The school has a large population, and it awarded 22 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region master’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNL has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Nebraska - Lincoln are $19,513, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Engineering at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

#3

Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, Minnesota

#3 in overall quality

$8,788 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 5 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Minnesota State University - Mankato landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Mankato, Minnesota, this fairly large public school awarded 4 degrees to qualified masters’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

Minnesota State Mankato also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Minnesota State Mankato are $8,788.

Read more about General Engineering at Minnesota State Mankato

#4

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota

#5 in overall quality

$16,743 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 5 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, South Dakota State University landed the #4 spot on the list. South Dakota State University is a public institution located in Brookings, South Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

South Dakota State also made our “Best General Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #5. Average graduate tuition and fees at South Dakota State are $16,743, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Engineering at South Dakota State University

#5

Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, Missouri

#2 in overall quality

$22,074 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

$54,869 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Saint Louis University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 27 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

SLU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Saint Louis University are $22,074, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Saint Louis University General Engineering Report

• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for General 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

Request Info

Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More >