2023 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region
54
Ranked Colleges
7,978
Degrees Awarded
$19,100
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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 Great Lakes region, there were 7,978 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $71,318 and $24,852 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 54 colleges that offered 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.
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.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region me students whose families make $75-$110k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 142 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region me students whose families make $75-$110k list, Northwestern has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $15,686 for great lakes region me students whose families make $75-$110k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 462 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $17,207 for great lakes region me students whose families make $75-$110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 582 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $17,124 for Great Lakes Region ME students whose families make $75-$110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Purdue
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Michigan Technological University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k. Michigan Tech is located in Houghton, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 429 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region me students whose families make $75-$110k list, Michigan Tech has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan Tech is $17,069 for Great Lakes Region ME students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 Michigan Tech
Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Dearborn landed the #5 spot on the list. UM Dearborn is a medium-sized school located in Dearborn, Michigan that handed out 183 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
UM Dearborn also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Dearborn is $17,197 for Great Lakes Region ME students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%.
Full University of Michigan - Dearborn Mechanical Engineering Report
Oakland University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Oakland is a fairly large school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 222 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oakland, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oakland is $16,142 for great lakes region me students whose families make $75-$110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Oakland
With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 268 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison also took the #6 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $22,377 for Great Lakes Region ME students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UW - Madison
University of Notre Dame ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 135 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Notre Dame did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $18,969 for Great Lakes Region ME students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Notre Dame.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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. 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 more about Mechanical Engineering at Notre Dame
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 300 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region me students whose families make $75-$110k list, UIUC has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $22,400 for Great Lakes Region ME students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school handed out 325 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region me students whose families make $75-$110k list, Ohio State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $21,575 for great lakes region me students whose families make $75-$110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Ohio State University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #11, Wayne State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Detroit, Michigan, and it awarded 163 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Wayne State University is $17,814 for Great Lakes Region ME students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Wayne State University
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school awarded 235 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $17,844 for great lakes region me students whose families make $75-$110k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Mechanical Engineering Report
University of Wisconsin - Platteville came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Platteville, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 198 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $17,029 for great lakes region me students whose families make $75-$110k.
Full University of Wisconsin - Platteville Mechanical Engineering Report
Michigan State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Michigan State University is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 308 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region me students whose families make $75-$110k list, Michigan State has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $25,297 for Great Lakes Region ME students whose families make $75-$110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Michigan State Mechanical Engineering Report
University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 222 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $19,839 for Great Lakes Region ME students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UIC
With a ranking of #16, University of Wisconsin - Stout did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This medium-sized school is located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, and it awarded 71 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stout is $18,293 for great lakes region me students whose families make $75-$110k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 Wisconsin - Stout Mechanical Engineering Report
University of Toledo ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Toledo, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 193 students in 2020-2021.
University of Toledo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Toledo is $19,328 for great lakes region me students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Toledo
University of Akron Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Akron, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 215 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region me students whose families make $75-$110k list, University of Akron Main Campus has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $20,778 for great lakes region me students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Akron Main Campus
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #19. This large school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 331 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
UC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $24,534 for great lakes region me students whose families make $75-$110k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 88%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UC
Youngstown State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #20. This fairly large school is located in Youngstown, Ohio, and it awarded 72 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $15,809 for Great Lakes Region ME students whose families make $75-$110k.
Full Youngstown State University Mechanical Engineering Report
Purdue University Northwest did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #21. Purdue Northwest is a medium-sized public school situated in Hammond, Indiana. It awarded 66 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University Northwest is $16,690 for great lakes region me students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Purdue Northwest
Illinois Institute of Technology landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 157 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois Tech, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $24,673 for great lakes region me students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Illinois Institute of Technology.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology
Central Michigan University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Central Michigan University is a fairly large school located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan that handed out 65 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan University is $18,135 for great lakes region me students whose families make $75-$110k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 Central Michigan University Mechanical Engineering Report
Wright State University - Main Campus landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Wright State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Dayton, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 120 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $19,004 for great lakes region me students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Wright State University - Main Campus.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Wright State University - Main Campus
Saginaw Valley State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in University Center, Michigan, this medium-sized public school handed out 46 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Saginaw Valley State University is $16,786 for great lakes region me students whose families make $75-$110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Saginaw Valley State University
