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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

43 Ranked Colleges
15,570 Degrees Awarded
$8,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 200,458 engineering students received their degree, making the major the 6th most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $64,888 and had an average of $23,564 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southwest region, there were 23,743 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $63,902 and $21,894 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 15,570 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 43 colleges that offer a degree in engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality 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 engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The engineering 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 Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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 Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

#1

Rice University

Houston, Texas
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Rice University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Rice University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 167 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Rice also took the #1 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Rice is $3,437 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Rice University Engineering Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a large school located in Edinburg, Texas that handed out 278 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,993 for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

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 more about Engineering at UT Rio Grande Valley

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #3 spot on the list. Texas A&M College Station is a large public school situated in College Station, Texas. It awarded 2,078 bachelors’s engineering 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 Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $11,454 for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas A&M College Station.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Engineering at Texas A&M University - College Station

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas at Austin. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Texas at Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 1,378 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Austin is $12,203 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UT Austin Engineering Report

#5

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas Tech University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Lubbock, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 872 students in 2019-2020.

Texas Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas Tech University is $12,317 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Engineering at Texas Tech University

#8 in overall quality

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. ASU - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1,605 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

ASU - Tempe also took the #8 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend ASU - Tempe is $7,044 for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Engineering at ASU - Tempe

#13 in overall quality

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The school has a large population, and it awarded 626 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

OSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $8,669 for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Engineering Report

#20 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Tyler came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UT Tyler is located in Tyler, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 222 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

UT Tyler also took the #20 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $6,797 for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UT Tyler.

Full UT Tyler Engineering Report

#25 in overall quality

University of North Texas landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Denton, Texas, this large public school handed out 320 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNT has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $8,521 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Texas.

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 Engineering at UNT

#10

Trinity University

San Antonio, Texas
#5 in overall quality

Trinity University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Trinity U is a small school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 29 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Trinity U also took the #5 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Trinity U is $12,373 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at Trinity University

#11

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona
#16 in overall quality

University of Arizona ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Tucson, Arizona, this large public school handed out 587 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, University of Arizona has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $10,562 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Arizona.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Arizona Engineering Report

The University of Texas at San Antonio landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Antonio, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 479 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UTSA is $10,516 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Engineering at UTSA

#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, The University of Texas of the Permian Basin did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Odessa, Texas, and it awarded 94 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Permian Basin also took the #17 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Permian Basin is $7,889 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Engineering at UT Permian Basin

#14

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
#14 in overall quality

University of Houston came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 626 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UH also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $10,203 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UH.

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 UH Engineering Report

#11 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Dallas ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Texas at Dallas is a large school located in Richardson, Texas that handed out 675 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Dallas, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $10,857 for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UT Dallas.

The low student loan default rate of 4.9% 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 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Engineering at The University of Texas at Dallas

#16

Lamar University

Beaumont, Texas
#22 in overall quality

Lamar University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lamar University is a fairly large school located in Beaumont, Texas that handed out 210 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Lamar University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Lamar University is $9,200 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Engineering at Lamar University

With a ranking of #17, The University of Texas at El Paso did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. El Paso, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 513 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UTEP is $7,092 for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Engineering at UTEP

#23 in overall quality

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. This small school is located in Socorro, New Mexico, and it awarded 174 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

New Mexico Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend New Mexico Tech is $10,924 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Engineering at New Mexico Tech

#19

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas
#18 in overall quality

Texas State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Texas State University is a public institution located in San Marcos, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 160 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Texas State University is $11,125 for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Engineering at Texas State

New Mexico State University - Main Campus landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and it awarded 310 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend New Mexico State University - Main Campus is $6,896 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full NMSU Main Campus Engineering Report

University of Houston - Clear Lake came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UH Clear Lake is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 41 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Houston - Clear Lake is $4,517 for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UH Clear Lake Engineering Report

#22

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas

MSU Texas ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Wichita Falls, Texas, this medium-sized public school handed out 50 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for MSU Texas is $7,703 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Engineering at MSU Texas

Texas A&M University - Texarkana landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Texarkana, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M Texarkana is $6,384 for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Engineering at Texas A&M Texarkana

Texas A&M University - Kingsville landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Texas A&M University - Kingsville is a public institution located in Kingsville, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 309 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M Kingsville is $11,105 for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Engineering at Texas A&M University - Kingsville

#25

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Flagstaff, Arizona, and it awarded 341 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,251 for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NAU.

Read full report on Engineering at NAU

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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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