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2023 Best Value ME Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid

6 Ranked Colleges
947 Degrees Awarded
$21,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value ME Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Virginia For Those Getting Aid” 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 Virginia, there were 947 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $63,739 and $24,782 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value ME Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 6 colleges that offer 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the mechanical engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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The me school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value ME Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid”.

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 Virginia For Those Getting Aid

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

Top 6 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in Virginia (With Aid)

1
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Tech. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Virginia Tech is a large school located in Blacksburg, Virginia that handed out 466 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our virginia me students with aid list, Virginia Tech has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $21,301 for Virginia ME students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering Report

2
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. University of Virginia is a large school located in Charlottesville, Virginia that handed out 64 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Virginia, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia - Main Campus is $22,006 for virginia me students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Virginia - Main Campus

3
Old Dominion crest
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Old Dominion University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Norfolk, Virginia, this large public school awarded 150 degrees to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our virginia me students with aid list, Old Dominion has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Old Dominion University is $17,204 for Virginia ME students with aid.

Full Old Dominion Mechanical Engineering Report

4
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend George Mason University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value ME Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid. George Mason University is a large public school situated in Fairfax, Virginia. It awarded 86 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

GMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $19,551 for virginia me students with aid per year to attend GMU.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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 George Mason University

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Virginia Commonwealth University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value ME Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid. Located in Richmond, Virginia, this large public school handed out 106 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.

VCU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for VCU is $20,490 for Virginia ME students with aid.

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%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at VCU

6
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

Liberty University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Liberty University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Lynchburg, Virginia. It awarded 34 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our virginia me students with aid list, Liberty University has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Liberty University is $29,382 for Virginia ME students with aid.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Liberty University

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Notes and References

References

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