2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Mechanical Engineering is the 20th most popular major in the country with 47,598 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, mechanical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $64,495 and had an average of $23,104 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 8,300 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $68,192 and $24,168 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,512 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,039 and $42,488 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 36 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.
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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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More Ways to Rank Mechanical Engineering Schools
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college 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 for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region master’s degree me students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 40 degrees to qualified masters’s ME students in 2019-2020.
Northwestern also took the #2 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567, but some majors have different tuition rates.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 150 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
U-M also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. Average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.
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 University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s ME degrees to 57 students in 2019-2020.
UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s ME degrees to 121 students in 2019-2020.
Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University - Main Campus are $28,794.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Notre Dame. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Notre Dame did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Notre Dame are $57,522, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Notre Dame
With a ranking of #6, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 70 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Michigan Technological University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Michigan Technological University is located in Houghton, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 121 masters’s ME degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan Tech, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan Tech are $21,996, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 73 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio State University - Main Campus are $37,141.
Oakland University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 64 diplomas to qualified masters’s ME students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oakland, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Oakland are $24,648, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Oakland University
Purdue University Northwest did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Purdue Northwest is a medium-sized public school situated in Hammond, Indiana. It awarded 28 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue Northwest are $11,633, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of Michigan - Dearborn came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UM Dearborn is a medium-sized school located in Dearborn, Michigan that handed out 77 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
UM Dearborn also took the #15 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Dearborn are $25,072.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Michigan - Dearborn
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s ME degrees to 80 students in 2019-2020.
IUPUI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis are $26,013, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis
Wayne State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Wayne State University is a public institution located in Detroit, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 70 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree me students whose families make $30-$48k list, Wayne State has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Wayne State are $37,215.
University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s ME degrees to 59 students in 2019-2020.
UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Chicago are $27,036, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Michigan - Flint landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UM Flint is a medium-sized school located in Flint, Michigan that handed out 6 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Flint are $18,202, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 4 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree me students whose families make $30-$48k list, SIUE has also earned the #0 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at SIUE are $9,300.
Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Mechanical Engineering Report
Case Western Reserve University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Case Western Reserve University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 23 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree me students whose families make $30-$48k list, Case Western has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Case Western Reserve University are $47,958, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University
With a ranking of #18, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified masters’s ME students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Northern Illinois University are $11,086, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Northern Illinois University
Michigan State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Michigan State University is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 13 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan State are $37,056.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SIUC is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Southern Illinois University Carbondale are $32,928, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Youngstown State University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Youngstown State University is a fairly large school located in Youngstown, Ohio that handed out 10 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Youngstown State University are $9,495.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Youngstown State University
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a public institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 95 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree me students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus are $26,644, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of Toledo landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Toledo is a public institution located in Toledo, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 18 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
University of Toledo also took the #25 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Toledo are $27,067, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Toledo
Western Michigan University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. WMU is a fairly large public school situated in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It awarded 34 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
WMU also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #17. Average graduate tuition and fees at WMU are $31,355, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Western Michigan University
With a ranking of #25, Bradley University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 11 masters’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree me students whose families make $30-$48k list, Bradley has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Bradley University are $17,040, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Bradley University
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Best Mechanical Engineering Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
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Mechanical Engineering students with family income $48-$75k in the Great Lakes Region
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Mechanical Engineering students with family income exceeding $110k in the Great Lakes Region
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Mechanical Engineering students in the Great Lakes Region
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Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
Mechanical Engineering students with family income $30-$48k in the Great Lakes Region
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Michel Villeneuve.
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