2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Mechanical Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
General Mechanical Engineering is the 12th most popular major in the country with 47,598 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 8,300 general mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 6,416 general mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 56 colleges that offered a degree in general mechanical engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general mechanical engineering programs and 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 mechanical engineering program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Mechanical Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 67 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $3,995 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The 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.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 289 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general mechanical engineering students in 2019-2020.
U-M also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $5,887 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%.
Out of the 56 schools in the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 190 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $6,860 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Madison.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at UW - Madison
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Purdue is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 376 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,879 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Purdue
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Notre Dame. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 119 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Notre Dame, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Notre Dame is $15,609 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low 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 freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 University of Notre Dame
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 179 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC also took the #7 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,464 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIUC.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, 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 students.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
With a ranking of #7, Michigan Technological University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Houghton, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 283 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, Michigan Tech has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan Tech is $9,049 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Michigan Technological University General Mechanical Engineering Report
Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ohio State is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 248 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $10,037 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ohio State.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Ohio State
Oakland University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Oakland is a fairly large school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 182 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
Oakland also took the #22 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oakland University is $7,751 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Oakland University
University of Wisconsin - Platteville came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Platteville, Wisconsin, and it awarded 190 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Platteville also took the #19 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Platteville is $12,930 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
University of Wisconsin - Stout landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UW - Stout is a medium-sized school located in Menomonie, Wisconsin that handed out 56 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Stout, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Stout is $10,778 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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 full report on General Mechanical Engineering at UW - Stout
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 175 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $6,315 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis General Mechanical Engineering Report
Purdue University Northwest ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Purdue Northwest is located in Hammond, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 62 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $8,401 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Purdue Northwest.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University Northwest
University of Michigan - Dearborn ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Dearborn, Michigan, this medium-sized public school awarded 157 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general mechanical engineering students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Dearborn is $8,057 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at University of Michigan - Dearborn
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 82 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $9,938 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 173 students in 2019-2020.
UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $11,185 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Michigan State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. Michigan State is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 289 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.
Michigan State also took the #10 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,197 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Michigan State.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Michigan State
Grand Valley State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Allendale, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 50 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Grand Valley State University is $12,459 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Grand Valley State University General Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #19, University of Michigan - Flint did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Flint, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $9,512 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Michigan - Flint.
Full University of Michigan - Flint General Mechanical Engineering Report
Case Western Reserve University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 91 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, Case Western has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Case Western Reserve University is $19,034 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, 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.
Lake Superior State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. Lake Superior State University is located in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $9,640 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lake Superior State University.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Lake Superior State University
Wright State University - Lake Campus ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Wright State University - Lake Campus is a public institution located in Celina, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Wright State University - Lake Campus is $10,227 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full Wright State University - Lake Campus General Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #23, Saginaw Valley State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in University Center, Michigan, this medium-sized public school awarded 59 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general mechanical engineering students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Saginaw Valley State University is $11,734 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Saginaw Valley State University
With a ranking of #24, Wayne State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Wayne State is a large public school situated in Detroit, Michigan. It awarded 84 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,554 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wayne State University.
Full Wayne State University General Mechanical Engineering Report
Purdue University Fort Wayne did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. Purdue University Fort Wayne is a medium-sized school located in Fort Wayne, Indiana that handed out 18 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Purdue University Fort Wayne is $7,686 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
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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 Michel Villeneuve.
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