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2023 Best Value Colleges for General Engineering (Income $48-$75k)

158 Ranked Colleges
11,796 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 11,796 people earned their degree in general engineering, making the major the 79th most popular in the United States. 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 158 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Engineering (Income $48-$75k)

1
Olin College crest
Olin College
Needham, Massachusetts

Out of the 158 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Olin College landed the #1 spot on the list. Olin College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Needham, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 33 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Olin College also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,300 for engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Olin College.

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 more about General Engineering at Olin College

2
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire

Out of the 158 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Dartmouth College landed the #2 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Hanover, New Hampshire, and it awarded 153 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, Dartmouth has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dartmouth College is $12,172 for engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full Dartmouth College General Engineering Report

3
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 6 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,849 for engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northwestern University.

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. 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 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Engineering at Northwestern

4
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brown University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Brown 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. It costs about $10,219 for engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Brown University.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%.

Read more about General Engineering at Brown

5
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 10 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt also made our “Best General Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt is $7,694 for Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on General Engineering at Vanderbilt

6
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Johns Hopkins University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 6 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Johns Hopkins did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins is $8,457 for Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 1.3% 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 Johns Hopkins University General Engineering Report

7
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. Purdue is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 96 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,450 for Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Purdue.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus General Engineering Report

8

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 64 students in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $10,364 for engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison General Engineering Report

9
Maritime crest
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts

Massachusetts Maritime Academy came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.

Maritime not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best General Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Massachusetts Maritime Academy is $12,099 for Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Engineering at Maritime

10

University of California - Davis came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 123 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,193 for Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Davis.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Engineering at University of California - Davis

11
Harvey Mudd College crest
Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, California

With a ranking of #11, Harvey Mudd College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Harvey Mudd College is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 58 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, Harvey Mudd College has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $18,077 for engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Harvey Mudd College.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Engineering at Harvey Mudd College

12

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best General Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $13,423 for Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

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

13

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 58 students in 2020-2021.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best General Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $12,644 for engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

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%. 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 UCLA

14
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Carnegie Mellon University is a fairly large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 35 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Carnegie Mellon not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Carnegie Mellon University is $21,526 for Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about General Engineering at Carnegie Mellon

15
Wake Technical Community College crest
Wake Technical Community College
Raleigh, North Carolina

With a ranking of #15, Wake Technical Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Raleigh, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 133 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Wake Technical Community College is $7,044 for Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Wake Technical Community College General Engineering Report

16

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, UIUC has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,505 for engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIUC.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

17
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 13 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Cornell is also in the top of our “Best General Engineering Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Cornell is $9,785 for Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about General Engineering at Cornell

18
WVU crest
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Morgantown, West Virginia, and it awarded 41 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, WVU also did well 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 WVU is $13,077 for Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full WVU General Engineering Report

19

Austin Community College District landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 85 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Austin Community College District is $9,178 for engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about General Engineering at Austin Community College District

20

University of Maryland - College Park ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UMCP is a large school located in College Park, Maryland that handed out 381 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

UMCP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Maryland - College Park is $17,360 for Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Maryland - College Park General Engineering Report

21

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. This large school is located in Tempe, Arizona, and it awarded 174 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

ASU - Tempe not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best General Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $15,561 for Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend ASU - Tempe.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Arizona State University - Tempe General Engineering Report

22

University of Nebraska - Lincoln came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UNL is a public institution located in Lincoln, Nebraska. The school has a large population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UNL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best General Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $15,394 for engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.

Read more about General Engineering at UNL

23

California State University - Fresno landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,030 for Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Fresno State General Engineering Report

24
Swarthmore crest
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

Swarthmore College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Swarthmore College is located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Swarthmore College is $11,521 for engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Engineering at Swarthmore College

25
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. North Carolina State University is a large public school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 52 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

NC State also took the #25 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NC State is $14,424 for engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 full report on General Engineering at North Carolina State University

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