2023 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Rocky Mountains Region
18
Ranked Colleges
2,429
Degrees Awarded
$11,500
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value ME Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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 Rocky Mountains region, there were 2,429 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $66,781 and $23,591 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value ME Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 18 colleges that offer a degree in mechanical engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great mechanical engineering programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the mechanical engineering program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. 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 Rocky Mountains 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value ME Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value ME Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 18 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Rocky Mountains Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brigham Young University - Provo. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value ME Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Provo, Utah, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 199 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region me students whose families make $0-$30k list, BYU has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Provo is $9,445 for rocky mountains region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full BYU Mechanical Engineering Report
Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #2 spot on the list. Brigham Young University - Idaho is a large school located in Rexburg, Idaho that handed out 108 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
BYU - I not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $2,073 for rocky mountains region me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Brigham Young University - Idaho
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Utah. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Utah is a public institution located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 236 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
U of U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend U of U is $10,431 for Rocky Mountains Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, 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 full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Utah
Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wyoming landed the #4 spot on the list. UW is a fairly large public school situated in Laramie, Wyoming. It awarded 72 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region me students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW is $6,905 for rocky mountains region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UW
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Colorado State University - Fort Collins. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value ME Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Colorado State is located in Fort Collins, Colorado and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 172 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Colorado State, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $11,924 for Rocky Mountains Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Colorado State University - Fort Collins.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Colorado State University - Fort Collins Mechanical Engineering Report
University of Colorado Boulder did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. CU - Boulder is a large public school situated in Boulder, Colorado. It awarded 329 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
CU - Boulder not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend CU - Boulder is $13,141 for rocky mountains region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at CU - Boulder
Colorado School of Mines did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Colorado School of Mines is located in Golden, Colorado and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 361 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mines, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $16,977 for Rocky Mountains Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Colorado School of Mines.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Mines
Utah State University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Logan, Utah, this large public school handed out 165 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
USU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $9,148 for rocky mountains region me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Utah State University.
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%.
Full Utah State University Mechanical Engineering Report
University of Idaho landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Moscow, Idaho, and it awarded 92 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at U of I, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for U of I is $10,816 for rocky mountains region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Idaho
With a ranking of #10, Boise State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Boise, Idaho, this large public school awarded 99 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
Boise State also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Boise State is $12,561 for rocky mountains region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Boise State University
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus is a large public school situated in Denver, Colorado. It awarded 66 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
CU Anschutz also took the #12 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $10,404 for rocky mountains region me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CU Anschutz.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 Mechanical Engineering at University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus
Utah Valley University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Orem, Utah, and it awarded 31 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
UVU also took the #17 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Utah Valley University is $7,707 for Rocky Mountains Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Mechanical Engineering at UVU
Montana Technological University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. This small school is located in Butte, Montana, and it awarded 33 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region me students whose families make $0-$30k list, Montana Tech has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Montana Tech is $11,954 for rocky mountains region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Montana Technological University Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #14, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Colorado at Colorado Springs is a fairly large public school situated in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It awarded 102 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
UCCS also took the #14 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCCS is $11,543 for rocky mountains region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #15, Montana State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Bozeman, Montana, and it awarded 165 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at MSU Bozeman, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $15,986 for Rocky Mountains Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend MSU Bozeman.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Montana State University
