2023 Best Value Colleges for General Mechanical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in Pennsylvania
14
Ranked Colleges
2,232
Degrees Awarded
$17,900
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
General Mechanical Engineering is the 14th most popular major in the country with 46,178 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across Pennsylvania, there were 2,232 general mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 14 colleges that offered a degree in general mechanical engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general mechanical engineering programs that also have a lower cost than 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 mechanical engineering program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 14 Best Value Colleges for General Mechanical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in Pennsylvania
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Pennsylvania is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 147 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, UPenn has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $580 for Pennsylvania General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at UPenn
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Carnegie Mellon University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 298 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Carnegie Mellon has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Carnegie Mellon University is $16,456 for Pennsylvania General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. 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 full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Lafayette College landed the #3 spot on the list. Lafayette is located in Easton, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 60 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.
Lafayette also took the #8 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $11,728 for Pennsylvania General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lafayette.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Lafayette
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lehigh University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k. This medium-sized school is located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 130 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lehigh, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lehigh is $15,561 for pennsylvania general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Full Lehigh University General Mechanical Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 236 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pitt, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Pitt is $15,084 for pennsylvania general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Pitt General Mechanical Engineering Report
Villanova University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Villanova, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 89 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Villanova not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Villanova University is $24,907 for Pennsylvania General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Villanova
Bucknell University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lewisburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bucknell, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bucknell University is $22,722 for Pennsylvania General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%. 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 more about General Mechanical Engineering at Bucknell
Temple University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 110 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Temple, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $18,173 for pennsylvania general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Temple University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Temple General Mechanical Engineering Report
York College of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. YCP is a small school located in York, Pennsylvania that handed out 48 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
YCP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend York College of Pennsylvania is $17,617 for pennsylvania general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at YCP
Gannon University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Gannon University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Erie, Pennsylvania. It awarded 27 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Gannon also took the #13 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Gannon is $18,292 for Pennsylvania General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Gannon
University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Pitt Johnstown is located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 46 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pitt Johnstown, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Pitt Johnstown is $10,570 for Pennsylvania General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown
With a ranking of #12, Drexel University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 200 degrees to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.
Drexel also took the #7 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Drexel is $24,508 for Pennsylvania General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Drexel
With a ranking of #13, Wilkes University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wilkes University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. It awarded 45 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Wilkes also took the #11 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wilkes is $25,058 for Pennsylvania General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Wilkes
Widener University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chester, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 40 students in 2020-2021.
Widener did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Widener is $29,378 for Pennsylvania General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.
Full Widener General Mechanical Engineering Report
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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
- *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
