2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k
22
Ranked Colleges
2,950
Degrees Awarded
$12,700
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Plains States 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 Plains States region, there were 2,950 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $67,644 and $25,449 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 22 colleges that offered 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.
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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 Plains States 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 22 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington University in St Louis landed the #1 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 156 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
WUSTL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Washington University in St Louis is $1,556 for plains states region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, 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 94%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Washington University in St Louis
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 285 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
UMN Twin Cities did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $7,698 for plains states region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, 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%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UMN Twin Cities
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Missouri University of Science and Technology landed the #3 spot on the list. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a medium-sized school located in Rolla, Missouri that handed out 272 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Missouri University of Science and Technology, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $7,356 for plains states region me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 451 students in 2020-2021.
Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $9,766 for plains states region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Iowa State
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Missouri - Columbia is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 168 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
Mizzou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mizzou is $11,005 for plains states region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, 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 full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Missouri - Columbia
University of Minnesota - Duluth ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Minnesota - Duluth is a public institution located in Duluth, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 121 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region me students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMN Duluth has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $7,843 for Plains States Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMN Duluth.
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%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Minnesota - Duluth
With a ranking of #7, North Dakota State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. North Dakota State University is a fairly large school located in Fargo, North Dakota that handed out 170 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
North Dakota State University also took the #8 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University is $11,835 for Plains States Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at North Dakota State University - Main Campus
University of Iowa came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 121 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Iowa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa is $13,554 for plains states region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Iowa Mechanical Engineering Report
University of Nebraska - Lincoln landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Lincoln, Nebraska, and it awarded 151 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
UNL also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $11,672 for Plains States 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UNL
University of North Dakota ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, this fairly large public school handed out 112 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
UND also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Dakota is $12,394 for plains states region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of North Dakota
With a ranking of #11, Kansas State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Manhattan, Kansas, and it awarded 182 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at K -State, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $13,436 for plains states region me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Kansas State University.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at K -State
University of Kansas did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. KU is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 140 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
KU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $15,666 for Plains States Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend KU.
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 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 Kansas Mechanical Engineering Report
Wichita State University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. WSU is a fairly large public school situated in Wichita, Kansas. It awarded 102 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
WSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $11,687 for Plains States Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WSU.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Wichita State University
University of Missouri - Kansas City came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Kansas City, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 79 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region me students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMKC has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMKC is $12,724 for Plains States 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%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Missouri - Kansas City
University of Missouri - St Louis ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.
UMSL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMSL is $9,991 for Plains States Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Missouri - St Louis
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is located in Rapid City, South Dakota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 64 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SD Mines, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,705 for plains states region me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
South Dakota State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Brookings, South Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 80 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at South Dakota State, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend South Dakota State University is $14,171 for plains states region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at South Dakota State University
Saint Cloud State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Saint Cloud State University is a public institution located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 36 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
St. Cloud State University also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend Saint Cloud State University is $10,348 for Plains States Region ME students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 St. Cloud State University Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #19, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Mankato, Minnesota, this fairly large public school handed out 31 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
Minnesota State Mankato also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend Minnesota State Mankato is $11,692 for plains states region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 full report on Mechanical Engineering at Minnesota State University - Mankato
Saint Louis University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. SLU is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
SLU also took the #16 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Louis University is $15,136 for plains states region me students whose families make $0-$30k.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Saint Louis University
