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2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

54 Ranked Colleges
7,978 Degrees Awarded
$15,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 54 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Mechanical Engineering Schools

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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 Getting Aid” 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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

1
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 582 students in 2020-2021.

Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,377 for great lakes region me students with aid per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Purdue

2

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 Getting Aid. U-M 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 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $14,878 for Great Lakes Region ME students with aid.

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%.

Full U-M Mechanical Engineering Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 300 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region me students with aid list, UIUC has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,321 for Great Lakes Region ME students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Mechanical Engineering Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 268 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $17,234 for great lakes region me students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

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 0.9% 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%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Madison

5

Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Dearborn landed the #5 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Dearborn, Michigan, and it awarded 183 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region me students with aid list, UM Dearborn has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UM Dearborn is $12,855 for Great Lakes Region ME students with aid.

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 UM Dearborn

6
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Michigan State is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 308 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan State also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $19,058 for great lakes region me students with aid per year to attend Michigan State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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

7

With a ranking of #7, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school awarded 235 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend IUPUI is $12,416 for Great Lakes Region ME students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full IUPUI Mechanical Engineering Report

8

With a ranking of #8, Michigan Technological University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Houghton, Michigan, and it awarded 429 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region me students with aid list, Michigan Tech has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,384 for Great Lakes Region ME students with aid per year to attend Michigan Tech.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Technological University

9
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Oakland is a fairly large school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 222 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

Oakland also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Oakland is $13,449 for great lakes region me students with aid.

The low undergrad 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%.

Full Oakland University Mechanical Engineering Report

10

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UIC is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 222 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,214 for Great Lakes Region ME students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 UIC

11

With a ranking of #11, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 325 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $16,845 for Great Lakes Region ME students with aid.

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 low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Ohio State

12

Purdue University Northwest did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Purdue Northwest is a medium-sized public school situated in Hammond, Indiana. It awarded 66 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,384 for Great Lakes Region ME students with aid per year to attend Purdue Northwest.

Full Purdue Northwest Mechanical Engineering Report

13
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s ME degrees to 142 students in 2020-2021.

Northwestern also took the #3 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $23,279 for great lakes region me students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Northwestern Mechanical Engineering Report

14
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

With a ranking of #14, Wayne State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Detroit, Michigan, and it awarded 163 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,962 for Great Lakes Region ME students with aid per year to attend Wayne State University.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Wayne State University

15

With a ranking of #15, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a public institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 331 ’s 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. It costs about $22,415 for Great Lakes Region ME students with aid per year to attend UC.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

16

University of Wisconsin - Platteville ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Platteville, Wisconsin, and it awarded 198 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Platteville is $14,565 for Great Lakes Region ME students with aid.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

17
UW - Stout crest
University of Wisconsin - Stout
Menomonie, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stout ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, and it awarded 71 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout is $15,589 for Great Lakes Region ME students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Stout

18
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and it awarded 103 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

WMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend WMU is $20,371 for great lakes region me students with aid.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at WMU

19

University of Akron Main Campus landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Akron, Ohio. It awarded 215 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Akron Main Campus, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $17,945 for Great Lakes Region ME students with aid.

Full University of Akron Main Campus Mechanical Engineering Report

20

Youngstown State University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Youngstown State University is a fairly large school located in Youngstown, Ohio that handed out 72 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $12,225 for great lakes region me students with aid.

Full Youngstown State University Mechanical Engineering Report

21

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. UWM is a large public school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 96 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UWM is $17,486 for great lakes region me students with aid.

Full University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Mechanical Engineering Report

22
University of Toledo crest
University of Toledo
Toledo, Ohio

With a ranking of #22, University of Toledo did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Toledo is a public institution located in Toledo, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 193 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region me students with aid list, University of Toledo has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Toledo is $17,312 for great lakes region me students with aid.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Toledo

23

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 72 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $14,462 for Great Lakes Region ME students with aid.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at SIUE

24

Wright State University - Main Campus came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Wright State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Dayton, Ohio. It awarded 120 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $15,962 for great lakes region me students with aid per year to attend Wright State University - Main Campus.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Wright State University - Main Campus

25

University of Michigan - Flint ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Flint, Michigan, and it awarded 33 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,689 for great lakes region me students with aid per year to attend University of Michigan - Flint.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UM Flint

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