2022 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in the Southwest Region (With Aid)
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Mechanical Engineering is the 20th most popular major in the country with 47,598 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 Southwest region, there were 5,649 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $61,691 and $21,487 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 36 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the mechanical engineering program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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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 Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most 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 in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in the Southwest Region (With Aid)
Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #1 spot on the list. UT Rio Grande Valley is a public institution located in Edinburg, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 116 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UT Rio Grande Valley also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $4,514 for Southwest Region ME students with aid per year to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
The low 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 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Mechanical Engineering Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas of the Permian Basin. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid. The University of Texas of the Permian Basin is a medium-sized public school situated in Odessa, Texas. It awarded 55 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Permian Basin, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas of the Permian Basin is $10,092 for southwest region me students with aid.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas of the Permian Basin
Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Austin landed the #3 spot on the list. UT Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 344 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
UT Austin also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend UT Austin is $18,023 for Southwest Region ME students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive 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 The University of Texas at Austin
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas at Dallas. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. UT Dallas is a large public school situated in Richardson, Texas. It awarded 277 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
UT Dallas not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UT Dallas is $15,232 for southwest region me students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rice University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Rice is a private not-for-profit institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 60 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Rice also took the #2 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $16,999 for Southwest Region ME students with aid per year to attend Rice University.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Texas Tech University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Texas Tech University is located in Lubbock, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 389 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
Texas Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $17,571 for southwest region me students with aid per year to attend Texas Tech.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #7, University of Houston did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Houston is a large public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 276 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
UH also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend University of Houston is $12,838 for southwest region 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.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Houston
Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in College Station, Texas, and it awarded 575 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas A&M College Station, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M College Station is $19,057 for southwest region me students with aid.
The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M College Station
The University of Texas at Tyler did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Tyler, Texas, this medium-sized public school awarded 117 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2019-2020.
UT Tyler also took the #16 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Tyler is $10,974 for southwest region me students with aid.
The University of Texas at El Paso came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UTEP is a large public school situated in El Paso, Texas. It awarded 240 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UTEP is $8,920 for Southwest Region ME students with aid.
Full The University of Texas at El Paso Mechanical Engineering Report
Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Tempe, Arizona, and it awarded 411 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region me students with aid list, ASU - Tempe has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Arizona State University - Tempe is $11,706 for southwest region me students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Arizona State University - Tempe
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The school has a large population, and it awarded 292 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
OSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is $14,648 for Southwest Region ME students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
The University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. UTSA is located in San Antonio, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 214 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
UTSA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at San Antonio is $13,853 for southwest region me students with aid.
Lamar University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Beaumont, Texas, this fairly large public school awarded 64 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2019-2020.
Lamar University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Lamar University is $12,311 for southwest region me students with aid.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Lamar University
With a ranking of #15, New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. NMSU Main Campus is a public institution located in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 127 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend New Mexico State University - Main Campus is $8,659 for southwest region me students with aid.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at New Mexico State University - Main Campus
Prairie View A & M University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. PVAMU is a medium-sized public school situated in Prairie View, Texas. It awarded 70 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
PVAMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $14,582 for southwest region me students with aid per year to attend Prairie View A & M University.
With a ranking of #17, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Socorro, New Mexico is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 88 students in 2019-2020.
New Mexico Tech also took the #14 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend New Mexico Tech is $14,595 for Southwest Region ME students with aid.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
University of North Texas came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Denton, Texas, and it awarded 179 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
UNT also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Texas is $15,086 for Southwest Region ME students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full University of North Texas Mechanical Engineering Report
University of Arizona came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Tucson, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 143 students in 2019-2020.
University of Arizona also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $15,016 for southwest region me students with aid per year to attend University of Arizona.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Arizona
University of New Mexico - Main Campus landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UNM is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 112 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend UNM is $14,446 for Southwest Region ME students with aid.
The University of Texas at Arlington ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. The University of Texas at Arlington is located in Arlington, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 304 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
UT Arlington also took the #15 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $14,246 for Southwest Region ME students with aid per year to attend UT Arlington.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas at Arlington
MSU Texas ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Wichita Falls, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 50 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for MSU Texas is $10,045 for Southwest Region ME students with aid.
West Texas A&M University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. West Texas A&M University is located in Canyon, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 43 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $12,761 for Southwest Region ME students with aid per year to attend West Texas A&M University.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at West Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University - Kingsville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. Texas A&M University - Kingsville is a medium-sized public school situated in Kingsville, Texas. It awarded 97 ’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $13,778 for southwest region me students with aid per year to attend Texas A&M University - Kingsville.
Full Texas A&M University - Kingsville Mechanical Engineering Report
Tarleton State University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Tarleton State University is a public institution located in Stephenville, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region me students with aid list, Tarleton has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $18,979 for southwest region me students with aid per year to attend Tarleton State University.
Full Tarleton State University 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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Michel Villeneuve.
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