2023 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $0-$30k)
312
Ranked Colleges
46,178
Degrees Awarded
$4,300
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 46,178 people earned their degree in mechanical engineering, making the major the 21st most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, mechanical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $69,007 and had an average of $23,944 in loans still to pay off.
This year’s “Best Value ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 312 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality 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 mechanical engineering program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Duke University is located in Durham, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 141 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
Duke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $371 for ME students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Duke University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Duke Mechanical Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 253 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $1,233 for ME students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford University.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University
Out of the 312 schools in the Best Value ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #3 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 291 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at MIT, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology is $5,193 for me students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at MIT
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 142 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our me students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwestern has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $245 for ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 undergraduate students.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools 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 ME degrees to qualified students.
UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $580 for me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.
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.
Full UPenn Mechanical Engineering Report
Johns Hopkins University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 191 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Johns Hopkins also took the #3 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,084 for me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Johns Hopkins.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Johns Hopkins
With a ranking of #7, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 462 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $2,670 for me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend U-M.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Mechanical Engineering Report
Olin College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Needham, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s ME degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.
Olin College also claimed a top spot on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Olin College is $2,008 for ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
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.
Full Olin College Mechanical Engineering Report
University of Florida ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 597 students in 2020-2021.
UF also took the #18 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $65 for me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Florida.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Florida
Princeton University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Princeton is a medium-sized school located in Princeton, New Jersey that handed out 69 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Princeton also claimed a top spot on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Princeton University is $2,958 for ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Princeton
With a ranking of #11, Rice University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Rice University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 77 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Rice also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $4,443 for ME students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Rice University.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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%. The undergraduate 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.
Full Rice Mechanical Engineering Report
Vanderbilt University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 66 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $3,176 for ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Vanderbilt University
Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 582 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $5,995 for ME students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Purdue
University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 268 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
UW - Madison also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $3,981 for ME students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Madison.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Washington University in St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Washington University in St Louis is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 156 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our me students whose families make $0-$30k list, WUSTL has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,556 for me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Washington University in St Louis.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 1.1% 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 more about Mechanical Engineering at Washington University in St Louis
Cornell University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Ithaca, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 214 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
Cornell also took the #7 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell University is $5,244 for me 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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Cornell University
Harvard University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Harvard University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 11 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Harvard also claimed a top spot on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Harvard University is $2,564 for ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Harvard
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 300 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, UIUC is in the top on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $4,858 for ME students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Tufts University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Tufts University is a fairly large school located in Medford, Massachusetts that handed out 76 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, Tufts is in the top on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $8,122 for me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Tufts.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 Mechanical Engineering at Tufts
Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 205 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Columbia also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Columbia University in the City of New York is $9,873 for ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Columbia
University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 320 students in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $8,450 for me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, 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 96%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley
Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this large public school awarded 794 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
Georgia Tech also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $8,818 for me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Full Georgia Tech Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #23, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 252 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA also took the #19 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $9,037 for ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UCLA
Michigan State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 308 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Michigan State is also in the top of our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $6,927 for ME students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Michigan State University
University of Maryland - College Park landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Maryland - College Park is a large public school situated in College Park, Maryland. It awarded 374 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
UMCP also claimed a top spot on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Maryland - College Park is $6,067 for ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Maryland - College Park
