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2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k

36 Ranked Colleges
5,649 Degrees Awarded
Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 47,598 people earned their degree in mechanical engineering, making the major the 20th most popular in the United States. 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 Southwest region, there were 5,649 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $61,691 and $21,487 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 36 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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

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 Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region me students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

#1

Rice University

Houston, Texas

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Rice University landed the #1 spot on the list. Rice is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 60 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Rice also took the #2 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $7,318 for southwest region me students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Rice University.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Rice University

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Edinburg, Texas, this large public school awarded 116 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2019-2020.

UT Rio Grande Valley also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $6,405 for Southwest Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UT Rio Grande Valley.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Mechanical Engineering Report

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Austin landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 344 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Austin is $15,757 for southwest region me students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 more about Mechanical Engineering at UT Austin

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas A&M University - College Station. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Texas A&M College Station is a public institution located in College Station, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 575 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M University - College Station is $18,810 for southwest region me students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, 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 94%.

Full Texas A&M University - College Station Mechanical Engineering Report

#5

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Houston. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Houston, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 276 students in 2019-2020.

UH also took the #6 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Houston is $12,505 for southwest region me students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Houston

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UT Permian Basin is a medium-sized school located in Odessa, Texas that handed out 55 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Permian Basin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UT Permian Basin is $10,417 for Southwest Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full The University of Texas of the Permian Basin Mechanical Engineering Report

#7

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Texas Tech University is a large school located in Lubbock, Texas that handed out 389 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region me students whose families make $48-$75k list, Texas Tech has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas Tech University is $17,421 for southwest 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 87%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Texas Tech

With a ranking of #8, Oklahoma State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. OSU is a large school located in Stillwater, Oklahoma that handed out 292 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

OSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend OSU is $14,698 for southwest 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.

Full Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Mechanical Engineering Report

The University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and it awarded 214 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UTSA also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at San Antonio is $13,827 for Southwest Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas at San Antonio

The University of Texas at Tyler ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UT Tyler is a medium-sized public school situated in Tyler, Texas. It awarded 117 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Tyler not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $10,037 for southwest region me students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UT Tyler.

Full UT Tyler Mechanical Engineering Report

#11

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

With a ranking of #11, University of Arizona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Arizona is a large public school situated in Tucson, Arizona. It awarded 143 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona also took the #13 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $15,399 for southwest region me students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Arizona.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Arizona

Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. ASU - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 411 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.

ASU - Tempe also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Arizona State University - Tempe is $14,033 for Southwest Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Arizona State University - Tempe

The University of Texas at Dallas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. UT Dallas is a public institution located in Richardson, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 277 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Dallas also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $13,797 for Southwest Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend The University of Texas at Dallas.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UT Dallas Mechanical Engineering Report

New Mexico State University - Main Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. New Mexico State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 127 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for NMSU Main Campus is $10,235 for southwest region me students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at NMSU Main Campus

With a ranking of #15, The University of Texas at El Paso did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in El Paso, Texas, and it awarded 240 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at El Paso is $10,786 for Southwest Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas at El Paso

#16

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas

With a ranking of #16, University of North Texas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Denton, Texas, and it awarded 179 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNT, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Texas is $15,377 for Southwest Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UNT

#17

Lamar University

Beaumont, Texas

Lamar University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Lamar University is a fairly large public school situated in Beaumont, Texas. It awarded 64 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Lamar University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Lamar University is $14,818 for Southwest Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Lamar University

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Socorro, New Mexico, this small public school awarded 88 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region me students whose families make $48-$75k list, New Mexico Tech has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology is $14,429 for Southwest Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.

The 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.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at New Mexico Tech

#19

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas

MSU Texas landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. MSU Texas is located in Wichita Falls, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 50 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for MSU Texas is $10,068 for southwest region me students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at MSU Texas

The University of Texas at Arlington landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Arlington, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 304 students in 2019-2020.

UT Arlington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Arlington is $14,622 for Southwest Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full UT Arlington Mechanical Engineering Report

With a ranking of #21, Texas A&M University - Kingsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Kingsville, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 97 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M Kingsville is $14,464 for Southwest Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Texas A&M University - Kingsville Mechanical Engineering Report

#22

West Texas A&M University

Canyon, Texas

West Texas A&M University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Canyon, Texas, this fairly large public school awarded 43 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend West Texas A&M University is $11,101 for Southwest Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full West Texas A&M University Mechanical Engineering Report

#23

Prairie View A & M University

Prairie View, Texas

Prairie View A & M University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. Prairie View, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 70 students in 2019-2020.

PVAMU also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend PVAMU is $16,610 for southwest region me students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Prairie View A & M University Mechanical Engineering Report

#24

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Flagstaff, Arizona, and it awarded 173 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northern Arizona University is $12,675 for Southwest Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Northern Arizona University

University of Houston - Clear Lake did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. Houston, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Houston - Clear Lake is $9,886 for Southwest Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full University of Houston - Clear Lake Mechanical Engineering Report

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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.

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