2026 Best Value Manufacturing Engineering Schools in Michigan

[Manufacturing Engineering](/majors/engineering/manufacturing-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong manufacturing engineering education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 8 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for manufacturing engineering students.
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2026 Best Value Manufacturing Engineering Schools in Michigan
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in manufacturing engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Manufacturing Engineering Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of Michigan Dearborn the best value for a degree in manufacturing engineering in Michigan. University Of Michigan Dearborn is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Dearborn. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,640, while out-of-state students pay about $32,896. Students borrow a median of $26,516 to complete the manufacturing engineering program here. Manufacturing Engineering graduates of University Of Michigan Dearborn earn a median of $62,536 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Michigan Dearborn admits about 56% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes Ferris State University one of the best values for manufacturing engineering. Located in the town of Big Rapids, Ferris State University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,778. Typical student debt for manufacturing engineering graduates is $18,500. Manufacturing Engineering graduates of Ferris State University earn a median of $68,715 early in their careers. Set against $18,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 91%.
University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a great value for students pursuing a degree in manufacturing engineering, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Ann Arbor, University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $18,848, with out-of-state students paying around $63,081. Typical student debt for manufacturing engineering graduates is $19,137. Manufacturing Engineering graduates of University Of Michigan Ann Arbor earn a median of $66,254 early in their careers. Set against $19,137 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 16% of applicants are accepted.
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.