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2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

24 Ranked Colleges
2,820 Degrees Awarded
$18,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Plains States region, there were 3,206 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $64,126 and $23,280 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,820 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 24 colleges that offered a degree 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.

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree me students with aid.

Top 24 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in the Plains States Region (With Aid)

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Missouri University of Science and Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Rolla, Missouri, and it awarded 279 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Missouri University of Science and Technology did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $14,262 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students with aid per year to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Missouri University of Science and Technology

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school handed out 429 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree me students with aid list, Iowa State has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $15,496 for plains states region bachelor’s degree me students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Iowa State Mechanical Engineering Report

#3

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - St Louis. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. UMSL is a public institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMSL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - St Louis is $9,435 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students with aid.

Full University of Missouri - St Louis Mechanical Engineering Report

#4

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 205 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $17,740 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Missouri - Columbia is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 166 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Mizzou is $16,001 for plains states region bachelor’s degree me students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Mizzou Mechanical Engineering Report

With a ranking of #6, University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, this large public school awarded 147 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNL, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $17,208 for plains states region bachelor’s degree me students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

North Dakota State University - Main Campus landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. North Dakota State University is a public institution located in Fargo, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 140 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

North Dakota State University also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for North Dakota State University - Main Campus is $16,584 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at North Dakota State University - Main Campus

#8

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Saint Cloud State University is a public institution located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Cloud State University also took the #20 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Cloud State University is $14,267 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students with aid.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Saint Cloud State University

#9

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota

With a ranking of #9, University of North Dakota did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of North Dakota is a public institution located in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 104 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree me students with aid list, UND has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,738 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students with aid per year to attend University of North Dakota.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of North Dakota Mechanical Engineering Report

Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. This fairly large school is located in Mankato, Minnesota, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Minnesota State Mankato not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $16,221 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students with aid per year to attend Minnesota State University - Mankato.

The 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 full report on Mechanical Engineering at Minnesota State University - Mankato

#11

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Iowa is located in Iowa City, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 120 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.

Iowa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $19,145 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students with aid per year to attend University of Iowa.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Iowa Mechanical Engineering Report

#12

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. K -State is a large public school situated in Manhattan, Kansas. It awarded 216 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

K -State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Kansas State University is $18,285 for plains states region bachelor’s degree me students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at K -State

With a ranking of #13, University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Duluth, Minnesota, and it awarded 125 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth is $17,067 for plains states region bachelor’s degree me students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Duluth Mechanical Engineering Report

#14

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota

With a ranking of #14, South Dakota State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Brookings, South Dakota, this fairly large public school handed out 94 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at South Dakota State, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $19,252 for plains states region bachelor’s degree me students with aid per year to attend South Dakota State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at South Dakota State

#15

Wichita State University

Wichita, Kansas

Wichita State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Wichita, Kansas, this fairly large public school awarded 96 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

WSU also took the #23 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,382 for plains states region bachelor’s degree me students with aid per year to attend Wichita State University.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Wichita State University

#16

University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri

University of Missouri - Kansas City ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Missouri - Kansas City is located in Kansas City, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 52 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.

UMKC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UMKC is $14,643 for plains states region bachelor’s degree me students with aid.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Missouri - Kansas City

#17

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

Washington University in St Louis came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 104 students in 2019-2020.

WUSTL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend WUSTL is $26,869 for plains states region bachelor’s degree me students with aid.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Washington University in St Louis

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is a small public school situated in Rapid City, South Dakota. It awarded 99 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

SD Mines also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for SD Mines is $19,815 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students with aid.

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%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

#19

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Kansas is a large public school situated in Lawrence, Kansas. It awarded 118 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree me students with aid list, KU has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Kansas is $18,918 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students with aid.

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

Full KU Mechanical Engineering Report

#20

Dunwoody College of Technology

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#15 in overall quality

Dunwoody College of Technology landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

Dunwoody College of Technology did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Dunwoody College of Technology is $24,488 for plains states region bachelor’s degree me students with aid.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Dunwoody College of Technology

#21

Dordt University

Sioux Center, Iowa

Dordt University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

Dordt also took the #19 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $25,102 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students with aid per year to attend Dordt University.

The low student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Dordt University

#22

Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, Missouri

With a ranking of #22, Saint Louis University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. SLU is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 26 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree me students with aid list, SLU has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $28,188 for plains states region bachelor’s degree me students with aid per year to attend SLU.

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 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at SLU

#23

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, Iowa

Saint Ambrose University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Davenport, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 25 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Ambrose University, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $26,204 for plains states region bachelor’s degree me students with aid per year to attend St. Ambrose University.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at St. Ambrose University

#24

University of St Thomas Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota

University of St Thomas Minnesota came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 102 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

UST MN also took the #7 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $29,155 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree ME students with aid per year to attend University of St Thomas Minnesota.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, 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 87%.

Full University of St Thomas Minnesota 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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