2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k
64
Ranked Colleges
9,524
Degrees Awarded
$7,800
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 Southeast 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 Southeast region, there were 9,524 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $65,486 and $24,571 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 64 colleges that offer a degree in mechanical engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality mechanical engineering programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the 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
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most 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 ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Out of the 64 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #1 spot on the 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Duke University is $371 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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 Duke
Out of the 64 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school awarded 597 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $65 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UF
Out of the 64 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #3 spot on the list. Vanderbilt University 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 also took the #4 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt University is $3,176 for southeast region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Vanderbilt University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Georgia Tech is a large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 794 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Georgia Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Georgia Tech is $8,818 for southeast region 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend North Carolina State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 402 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
NC State also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $7,283 for southeast region me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Carolina State University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, 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 undergraduate students.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at NC State
University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. USF Tampa is a public institution located in Tampa, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 243 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
USF Tampa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $4,176 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at USF Tampa
University of Central Florida ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Central Florida is located in Orlando, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 503 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
UCF also took the #14 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $4,468 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCF.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, 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 University of Central Florida Mechanical Engineering Report
Virginia Tech came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Virginia Tech is located in Blacksburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 466 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Virginia Tech, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $11,934 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech
University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, this large public school handed out 64 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
University of Virginia also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $12,476 for southeast region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Virginia Mechanical Engineering Report
Florida State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 109 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region me students whose families make $0-$30k list, Florida State has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $4,950 for southeast region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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 95%.
Full Florida State Mechanical Engineering Report
Florida International University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Miami, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 174 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at FIU, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $3,196 for southeast region me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida International University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Full FIU Mechanical Engineering Report
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Louisiana State University is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 133 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
Louisiana State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $11,318 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Louisiana State University
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. UT Knoxville is a public institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 190 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UT Knoxville also took the #10 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is $10,433 for southeast region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, 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 89%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UT Knoxville
University of Georgia ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 172 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
UGA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Georgia is $8,303 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UGA
Citadel Military College of South Carolina came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Charleston, South Carolina, this small public school handed out 95 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Citadel Military College of South Carolina is $7,451 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Citadel Military College of South Carolina
Clemson University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Clemson, South Carolina, this large public school awarded 385 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Clemson, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Clemson University is $13,744 for southeast region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full Clemson University Mechanical Engineering Report
North Carolina A & T State University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Greensboro, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 106 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $7,827 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Carolina A & T State University.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at North Carolina A & T State University
University of North Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. UNF is located in Jacksonville, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 82 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend University of North Florida is $4,367 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad 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 Mechanical Engineering at University of North Florida
Florida Atlantic University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. FAU is a large school located in Boca Raton, Florida that handed out 122 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for FAU is $6,726 for Southeast 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 Florida Atlantic University
West Virginia University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Morgantown, West Virginia, and it awarded 170 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
WVU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for West Virginia University is $10,014 for southeast region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at WVU
University of South Carolina - Columbia came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbia, South Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 235 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UofSC, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of South Carolina - Columbia is $12,130 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of South Carolina - Columbia
University of Kentucky did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. University of Kentucky is located in Lexington, Kentucky and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 188 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
UK not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UK is $12,593 for Southeast 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UK
Mississippi State University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Mississippi State University is a large school located in Mississippi State, Mississippi that handed out 216 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Mississippi State also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for Mississippi State University is $13,025 for Southeast 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.
Full Mississippi State Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #24, The University of West Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of West Florida is located in Pensacola, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 55 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend UWF is $4,288 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full The University of West Florida Mechanical Engineering Report
University of North Carolina at Charlotte came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of North Carolina at Charlotte is located in Charlotte, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 249 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
UNC Charlotte not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UNC Charlotte is $12,751 for southeast 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of North Carolina at Charlotte
