2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k
64
Ranked Colleges
9,524
Degrees Awarded
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Mechanical Engineering is the 21st most popular major in the country with 46,178 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.
This year’s “Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 64 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
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. 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 Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k
The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region me students whose families make $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southeast Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Duke, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Duke University is $7,160 for southeast region me students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.
Full Duke Mechanical Engineering Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 66 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
Vanderbilt also took the #4 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt is $7,694 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, 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 96%.
Full Vanderbilt Mechanical Engineering Report
Out of the 64 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school awarded 597 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $8,394 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UF
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 $48-$75k list. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this large public school handed out 794 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
Georgia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is $15,415 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus Mechanical Engineering Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Central Florida. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k. University of Central Florida is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 503 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region me students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCF has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $9,426 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Central Florida.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full UCF Mechanical Engineering Report
University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of South Florida - Main Campus is located in Tampa, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 243 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
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 estimated yearly cost for University of South Florida - Main Campus is $9,669 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, 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 University of South Florida - Main Campus
Florida State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. Florida State is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 109 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region me students whose families make $48-$75k 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 $11,506 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.
Full Florida State Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #8, Florida International University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Miami, Florida, this large public school awarded 174 diplomas to qualified ’s ME 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. The yearly cost to attend Florida International University is $7,292 for southeast region me students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at FIU
North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 402 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
NC State also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for North Carolina State University is $14,424 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at North Carolina State University
University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, this large public school handed out 64 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $16,019 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Virginia.
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%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Virginia
Virginia Tech landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Blacksburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 466 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region me students whose families make $48-$75k list, Virginia Tech has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $18,372 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech
With a ranking of #12, West Virginia University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. West Virginia University is a public institution located in Morgantown, West Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 170 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
WVU also took the #25 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WVU is $13,077 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.
Full WVU Mechanical Engineering Report
Clemson University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Clemson, South Carolina, and it awarded 385 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Clemson did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Clemson is $20,797 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Clemson University Mechanical Engineering Report
University of North Florida came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Jacksonville, Florida, this fairly large public school awarded 82 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of North Florida is $10,194 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.
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
North Carolina A & T State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. This fairly large school is located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and it awarded 106 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for NC A&T is $12,647 for southeast region me students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at NC A&T
University of Georgia landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UGA is a large school located in Athens, Georgia that handed out 172 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region me students whose families make $48-$75k list, UGA has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UGA is $15,037 for southeast region me students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Georgia Mechanical Engineering Report
The University of West Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. Pensacola, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 55 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $7,301 for southeast region me students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UWF.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at The University of West Florida
Florida Atlantic University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Boca Raton, Florida, this large public school awarded 122 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Florida Atlantic University is $12,323 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at FAU
University of Kentucky came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UK is a large public school situated in Lexington, Kentucky. It awarded 188 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
UK did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Kentucky is $16,708 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UK
Mississippi State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Mississippi State is a large school located in Mississippi State, Mississippi that handed out 216 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Mississippi State also took the #12 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mississippi State University is $18,449 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Mississippi State
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this large public school awarded 133 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region me students whose families make $48-$75k list, Louisiana State University has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $19,623 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, 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 86%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Louisiana State University
Citadel Military College of South Carolina landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Citadel Military College of South Carolina is a public institution located in Charleston, South Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 95 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $13,358 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Citadel Military College of South Carolina.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Citadel Military College of South Carolina
University of North Carolina at Charlotte ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Charlotte, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 249 students in 2020-2021.
UNC Charlotte did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Charlotte is $16,938 for southeast region me students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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 UNC Charlotte Mechanical Engineering Report
University of Arkansas landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, this large public school awarded 142 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Arkansas is $16,256 for southeast region me students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Full UARK Mechanical Engineering Report
University of Louisville did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Louisville, Kentucky, this large public school handed out 153 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Louisville is $17,380 for Southeast Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 more about Mechanical Engineering at UofL
