Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

General Mechanical Engineering

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

56 Ranked Colleges
6,416 Degrees Awarded
Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 47,598 people earned their degree in general mechanical engineering, making the major the 12th most popular in the United States.

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 $48-$75k” 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general mechanical 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The general mechanical engineering school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k”.

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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

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 $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Mechanical Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

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 $48-$75k. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 67 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $6,452 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern University

#3 in overall quality

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 $48-$75k list. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 289 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $10,028 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at U-M

#3

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#6 in overall quality

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 $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 376 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $9,654 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus General Mechanical Engineering Report

#4

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Notre Dame. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. 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.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, Notre Dame has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,768 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Notre Dame.

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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at University of Notre Dame

#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. 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 $48-$75k. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 190 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,227 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW - Madison.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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 Mechanical Engineering at UW - Madison

#7 in overall quality

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 $48-$75k list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 179 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, UIUC has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $13,351 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign General Mechanical Engineering Report

#9 in overall quality

Michigan Technological University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Houghton, Michigan, this medium-sized public school awarded 283 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general mechanical engineering students in 2019-2020.

Michigan Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,720 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Michigan Technological University.

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%. 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 more about General Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Technological University

#12 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 248 bachelors’s 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. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $13,982 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical 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 student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#9

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan
#22 in overall quality

Oakland University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Oakland is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 182 bachelors’s 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 estimated yearly cost for Oakland is $10,387 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Oakland

#10

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#19 in overall quality

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 $48-$75k ranking. UW - Platteville is a medium-sized school located in Platteville, Wisconsin that handed out 190 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Platteville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Platteville is $15,152 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at UW - Platteville

With a ranking of #11, University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Michigan - Dearborn is a medium-sized public school situated in Dearborn, Michigan. It awarded 157 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UM Dearborn is $10,553 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The 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 University of Michigan - Dearborn General Mechanical Engineering Report

#12

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin
#16 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stout did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. Menomonie, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 56 students 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. It costs about $15,235 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at UW - Stout

With a ranking of #13, Wright State University - Lake Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Wright State University - Lake Campus is a small school located in Celina, Ohio that handed out 21 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Wright State University - Lake Campus is $12,664 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Wright State University - Lake Campus General Mechanical Engineering Report

#25 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #14 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 $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 173 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,683 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIC.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 University of Illinois at Chicago

#15

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

Purdue University Northwest did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. Purdue University Northwest is a public institution located in Hammond, Indiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 62 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Purdue Northwest is $13,449 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Purdue Northwest General Mechanical Engineering Report

With a ranking of #16, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school awarded 175 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general mechanical engineering students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $12,314 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at IUPUI

#17

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan

Wayne 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 $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. Wayne State is a large public school situated in Detroit, Michigan. It awarded 84 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Wayne State University is $13,668 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Wayne State General Mechanical Engineering Report

#18

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan

Saginaw 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 $48-$75k list. Saginaw Valley State University is located in University Center, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 59 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Saginaw Valley State University is $14,230 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Saginaw Valley State University

#19

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

With a ranking of #19, Northern Illinois 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 $48-$75k list. Northern Illinois University is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 123 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $18,346 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend NIU.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at NIU

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #20 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 $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 82 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,705 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SIUE.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at SIUE

#11 in overall quality

Case Western Reserve 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 $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 91 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general mechanical engineering students in 2019-2020.

Case Western did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Case Western Reserve University is $22,236 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University

#22

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University came in at #22 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 $48-$75k ranking. 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.

It costs about $15,775 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Grand Valley State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Grand Valley State University General Mechanical Engineering Report

#23

Milwaukee School of Engineering

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
#14 in overall quality

Milwaukee School of Engineering came in at #23 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 $48-$75k ranking. MSOE is a private not-for-profit institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 127 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, MSOE has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Milwaukee School of Engineering is $20,444 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Milwaukee School of Engineering

#24

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#10 in overall quality

Michigan State University came in at #24 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 $48-$75k ranking. Michigan State University is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 289 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $20,696 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 University

University of Michigan - Flint ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Flint, Michigan, this medium-sized public school handed out 25 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general mechanical engineering students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Flint is $13,343 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full University of Michigan - Flint General Mechanical Engineering Report

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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

Featured Engineering Schools

Find Schools Near You