2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
54
Ranked Colleges
7,978
Degrees Awarded
$8,400
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
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.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 7,978 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $71,318 and $24,852 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 54 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent mechanical engineering programs, but they also 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 mechanical engineering program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank Mechanical Engineering Schools
The me 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 ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.
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. 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 ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) 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 ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 142 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $245 for Great Lakes Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern.
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%. 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 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 Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern
Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #2 spot on the list. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 462 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region me students whose families make $0-$30k list, U-M has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $2,670 for great lakes region me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend U-M.
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 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 582 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region me students whose families make $0-$30k list, Purdue has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $5,995 for Great Lakes Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Purdue Mechanical Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 268 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region me students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $3,981 for Great Lakes Region 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 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%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UW - Madison
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 300 students in 2020-2021.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $4,858 for Great Lakes Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 UIUC
Michigan State University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan State is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 308 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
Michigan State also took the #10 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $6,927 for Great Lakes Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State University.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Michigan State
Michigan Technological University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Houghton, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 429 students in 2020-2021.
Michigan Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Michigan Technological University is $5,520 for great lakes region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Michigan Tech Mechanical Engineering Report
University of Notre Dame landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 135 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Notre Dame did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Notre Dame is $9,872 for Great Lakes Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergraduate 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, 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 97%.
Full Notre Dame Mechanical Engineering Report
Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 325 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Ohio State also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $7,068 for Great Lakes Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Ohio State Mechanical Engineering Report
University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. University of Michigan - Dearborn is a medium-sized public school situated in Dearborn, Michigan. It awarded 183 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
UM Dearborn also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend UM Dearborn is $9,113 for great lakes region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Michigan - Dearborn Mechanical Engineering Report
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 235 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $7,026 for Great Lakes Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at IUPUI
Oakland University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 222 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
Oakland did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $8,949 for great lakes region me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oakland.
The low undergrad 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 Mechanical Engineering at Oakland
University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 222 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region me students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIC has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $10,549 for great lakes region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UIC Mechanical Engineering Report
Purdue University Northwest ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Hammond, Indiana, and it awarded 66 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University Northwest is $6,775 for Great Lakes Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Purdue University Northwest Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #15, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 72 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $8,047 for Great Lakes Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Mechanical Engineering Report
University of Wisconsin - Stout ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 71 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stout is $10,074 for Great Lakes Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 more about Mechanical Engineering at UW - Stout
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cincinnati, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 331 students in 2020-2021.
UC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UC is $15,061 for great lakes region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UC
Wayne State University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wayne State University is a public institution located in Detroit, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 163 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Wayne State is $11,060 for great lakes region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Wayne State
Case Western Reserve University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Case Western is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cleveland, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 125 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Case Western also took the #8 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Case Western Reserve University is $16,063 for Great Lakes Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University
Miami University - Oxford ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Miami University - Oxford is a public institution located in Oxford, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 113 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Miami University - Oxford, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Miami University - Oxford is $13,956 for Great Lakes Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, 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 88%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Miami University - Oxford
With a ranking of #21, Western Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. WMU is a fairly large school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan that handed out 103 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WMU, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,112 for great lakes region me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Western Michigan University.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at WMU
University of Wisconsin - Platteville came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is a public institution located in Platteville, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 198 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - Platteville is $8,887 for great lakes region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full UW - Platteville Mechanical Engineering Report
Lake Superior State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Sault Ste Marie, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $7,159 for great lakes region me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lake Superior State University.
Full Lake Superior State University Mechanical Engineering Report
Grand Valley State University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. GVSU is a large school located in Allendale, Michigan that handed out 70 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for GVSU is $10,259 for Great Lakes Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.
Full GVSU Mechanical Engineering Report
University of Michigan - Flint did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. This medium-sized school is located in Flint, Michigan, and it awarded 33 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Flint is $7,797 for Great Lakes Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full University of Michigan - Flint Mechanical Engineering Report
