2023 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region
22
Ranked Colleges
2,950
Degrees Awarded
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 $48-$75k” 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.
For this year’s “Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 22 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.
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. 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 Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k.
Top 22 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 156 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WUSTL, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WUSTL is $8,149 for Plains States 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 94%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 WUSTL
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 $48-$75k list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 285 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region me students whose families make $48-$75k list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,911 for plains states region me students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Full UMN Twin Cities Mechanical Engineering Report
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Missouri University of Science and Technology landed the #3 spot on the list. Rolla, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 272 students in 2020-2021.
Missouri University of Science and Technology did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology is $11,656 for plains states region me students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. 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 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 University of Missouri - Columbia. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Mizzou is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 168 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Mizzou did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Mizzou is $13,715 for Plains States 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 89%. 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%.
Full University of Missouri - Columbia Mechanical Engineering Report
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #5 spot on the list. 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.
In addition to being on our plains states region me students whose families make $48-$75k list, Iowa State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $14,641 for Plains States Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.
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.
Full Iowa State Mechanical Engineering Report
University of Minnesota - Duluth came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UMN Duluth is a medium-sized public school situated in Duluth, Minnesota. It awarded 121 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
UMN Duluth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $13,364 for plains states region me students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 UMN Duluth Mechanical Engineering Report
North Dakota State University - Main Campus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Fargo, North Dakota, this fairly large public school handed out 170 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
North Dakota State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Dakota State University - Main Campus is $16,071 for Plains States Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 North Dakota State University - Main Campus
University of Nebraska - Lincoln came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is a large public school situated in Lincoln, Nebraska. It awarded 151 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region me students whose families make $48-$75k list, UNL has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $15,394 for plains states region me students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UNL
University of North Dakota landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Grand Forks, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 112 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region me students whose families make $48-$75k list, UND has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UND is $15,818 for plains states region me students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 University of North Dakota Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #10, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school handed out 121 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region me students whose families make $48-$75k list, Iowa has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $18,026 for Plains States Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Iowa.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 Iowa Mechanical Engineering Report
Kansas State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. K -State is a large public school situated in Manhattan, Kansas. It awarded 182 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region me students whose families make $48-$75k list, K -State has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,868 for plains states region me students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend K -State.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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 more about Mechanical Engineering at Kansas State University
University of Missouri - St Louis ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Missouri - St Louis is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 27 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMSL, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMSL is $11,291 for plains states region me students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Missouri - St Louis
With a ranking of #13, University of Kansas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. KU is a large public school situated in Lawrence, Kansas. It awarded 140 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region me students whose families make $48-$75k list, KU has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Kansas is $18,586 for Plains States Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. 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 full report on Mechanical Engineering at KU
Wichita State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Wichita, Kansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 102 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WSU, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wichita State University is $14,581 for plains states region me students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at WSU
University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. University of Missouri - Kansas City is a fairly large school located in Kansas City, Missouri that handed out 79 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
UMKC also took the #17 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMKC is $15,768 for plains states region me students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%.
Full UMKC Mechanical Engineering Report
Saint Cloud State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Saint Cloud, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 36 students in 2020-2021.
St. Cloud State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend St. Cloud State University is $13,140 for plains states region me students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 Saint Cloud State University Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #17, South Dakota State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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.
South Dakota State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $18,826 for plains states region me students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend South Dakota State University.
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
Minnesota State University - Mankato came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large school located in Mankato, Minnesota that handed out 31 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Minnesota State Mankato did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $14,995 for plains states region me students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Minnesota State University - Mankato.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Minnesota State Mankato
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 $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Rapid City, South Dakota, this small public school handed out 64 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
SD Mines also took the #13 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is $19,754 for plains states region me students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
University of St Thomas Minnesota landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s ME degrees to 105 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region me students whose families make $48-$75k list, UST MN has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $28,771 for Plains States Region ME students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UST MN.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of St Thomas Minnesota Mechanical Engineering Report
