2023 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
22
Ranked Colleges
2,950
Degrees Awarded
$18,700
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that 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 Plains States region, there were 2,950 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $67,644 and $25,449 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 22 colleges that offered a degree in mechanical engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality mechanical engineering programs that also have a lower cost than 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. 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 in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid.
Top 22 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Missouri University of Science and Technology. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a medium-sized school located in Rolla, Missouri that handed out 272 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Missouri University of Science and Technology not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology is $12,964 for Plains States 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #2 spot on the list. UMN Twin Cities is a large public school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 285 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $17,878 for Plains States Region ME students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Iowa State is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 451 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $16,002 for Plains States Region ME students with aid per year to attend Iowa State University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Iowa State Mechanical Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - Columbia. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Mizzou is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 168 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
Mizzou did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Columbia is $16,559 for Plains States Region ME students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Mizzou
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 121 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Iowa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Iowa is $19,401 for Plains States Region ME students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Iowa
North Dakota State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in Fargo, North Dakota, and it awarded 170 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
North Dakota State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University is $16,998 for plains states region 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 full report on Mechanical Engineering at North Dakota State University
University of Nebraska - Lincoln came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is located in Lincoln, Nebraska and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 151 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
UNL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UNL is $17,013 for plains states region me students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Nebraska - Lincoln
University of North Dakota landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Grand Forks, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 112 students in 2020-2021.
UND also took the #12 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Dakota is $16,966 for Plains States Region ME students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UND
Kansas State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Kansas State University is a large public school situated in Manhattan, Kansas. It awarded 182 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
K -State also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Kansas State University is $18,433 for plains states region me students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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 K -State Mechanical Engineering Report
Wichita State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Wichita, Kansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 102 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region me students with aid list, WSU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,859 for plains states region me students with aid per year to attend Wichita State University.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Wichita State University
With a ranking of #11, University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.
UMSL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - St Louis is $12,232 for plains states region me students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of Missouri - St Louis
With a ranking of #12, University of Kansas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Lawrence, Kansas, this large public school awarded 140 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at KU, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $20,257 for Plains States Region ME students with aid per year to attend KU.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 KU
University of Missouri - Kansas City ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Missouri - Kansas City is a fairly large school located in Kansas City, Missouri that handed out 79 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
UMKC also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Kansas City is $15,702 for plains states region me students with aid.
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%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Missouri - Kansas City
University of Minnesota - Duluth ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. UMN Duluth is a medium-sized school located in Duluth, Minnesota that handed out 121 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
UMN Duluth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UMN Duluth is $18,505 for Plains States Region 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 UMN Duluth
Washington University in St Louis ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Washington University in St Louis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 156 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
WUSTL also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Washington University in St Louis is $26,921 for Plains States Region ME students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Washington University in St Louis Mechanical Engineering Report
South Dakota State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. South Dakota State University is located in Brookings, South Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 80 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
South Dakota State also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $18,578 for plains states region me students with aid per year to attend South Dakota State.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.
Full South Dakota State University Mechanical Engineering Report
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is a public institution located in Rapid City, South Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 64 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SD Mines did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend SD Mines is $19,919 for Plains States 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 full report on Mechanical Engineering at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Saint Cloud State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Saint Cloud State University is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 36 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
St. Cloud State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $14,581 for Plains States Region ME students with aid per year to attend St. Cloud State University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full St. Cloud State University Mechanical Engineering Report
Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a fairly large school located in Mankato, Minnesota that handed out 31 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Minnesota State Mankato did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State Mankato is $17,159 for Plains States 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%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Minnesota State University - Mankato
University of St Thomas Minnesota landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 105 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UST MN, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of St Thomas Minnesota is $31,066 for Plains States Region ME students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UST MN Mechanical Engineering Report
