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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Engineering (With Aid)

82 Ranked Colleges
2,945 Degrees Awarded
$15,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,945 general engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 82 colleges that offer a degree in general engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general engineering programs, but they also 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank General Engineering Schools

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 a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Engineering (With Aid)

#1

McNeese State University

Lake Charles, Louisiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend McNeese State University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Lake Charles, Louisiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 94 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for McNeese is $12,267 for bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

Read full report on General Engineering at McNeese State University

Out of the 82 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #2 spot on the list. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 129 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $14,669 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Engineering at University of California - Davis

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 18 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about General Engineering at California State University - Long Beach

#4

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Michigan State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school awarded 125 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $19,173 for bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Engineering at Michigan State

#5

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend North Carolina State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. NC State 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.

It costs about $16,458 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid 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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Engineering at NC State

#6

College of Staten Island CUNY

Staten Island, New York

College of Staten Island CUNY ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. College of Staten Island CUNY is a public institution located in Staten Island, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSI is $5,118 for bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

Full College of Staten Island CUNY General Engineering Report

Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Tempe, Arizona, and it awarded 192 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend ASU - Tempe is $11,706 for bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Engineering at Arizona State University - Tempe

#8

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

Swarthmore College landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 24 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

Swarthmore also made our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Swarthmore College is $19,184 for bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 Swarthmore College

#9

University of North Carolina at Asheville

Asheville, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Asheville ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UNCA 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.

The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Asheville is $12,061 for bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

Read full report on General Engineering at UNCA

#10

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah

With a ranking of #10, University of Utah did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, this large public school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,773 for bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid per year to attend U of U.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Utah General Engineering Report

#11

East Carolina University

Greenville, North Carolina

East Carolina University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. East Carolina University is located in Greenville, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 134 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for ECU is $15,844 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

Read more about General Engineering at ECU

#12

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi

University of Mississippi landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University, Mississippi is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Mississippi is $14,016 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Engineering at University of Mississippi

With a ranking of #13, Montana Technological University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Montana Technological University is a small school located in Butte, Montana that handed out 57 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,023 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid per year to attend Montana Tech.

Full Montana Tech General Engineering Report

The University of Texas at El Paso landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. The University of Texas at El Paso is a large school located in El Paso, Texas that handed out 13 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at El Paso is $8,920 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

Read full report on General Engineering at UTEP

#15

Marshall University

Huntington, West Virginia

Marshall University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Marshall University is a fairly large public school situated in Huntington, West Virginia. It awarded 23 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,370 for bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid per year to attend Marshall University.

Read full report on General Engineering at Marshall University

#16

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. USI is a fairly large public school situated in Evansville, Indiana. It awarded 27 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Southern Indiana is $13,437 for bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Engineering at USI

#17

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. James Madison University is a large public school situated in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It awarded 78 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

JMU also made our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for JMU is $22,169 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive 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 James Madison University

#18

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island

Brown University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Providence, Rhode Island, and it awarded 65 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Brown did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Brown is $29,392 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 Brown University

Minnesota State University - Mankato ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a fairly large public school situated in Mankato, Minnesota. It awarded 39 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Minnesota State University - Mankato is $16,221 for bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

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%.

Read more about General Engineering at Minnesota State Mankato

#20

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia

With a ranking of #20, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, this large public school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia also took the #22 spot in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $20,397 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid per year to attend University of Virginia.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#21

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Texas A&M College Station is a large school located in College Station, Texas that handed out 6 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station also took the #20 spot in our “Best General Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M College Station is $19,057 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full Texas A&M College Station General Engineering Report

Michigan Technological University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. Michigan Technological University is located in Houghton, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $16,463 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid per year to attend Michigan Tech.

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 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 Michigan Tech General Engineering Report

#23

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook, New York

Stony Brook University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. SUNY Stony Brook is a large school located in Stony Brook, New York that handed out 23 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Stony Brook is $15,160 for Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.

Read more about General Engineering at SUNY Stony Brook

#24

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, North Carolina

With a ranking of #24, Western Carolina University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Western Carolina University is $13,722 for bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

Read full report on General Engineering at WCU

The University of Tennessee - Martin did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. The University of Tennessee - Martin is a medium-sized school located in Martin, Tennessee that handed out 37 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UT Martin is $10,955 for bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

Read more about General Engineering at UT Martin

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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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