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2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k

298 Ranked Colleges
48,197 Degrees Awarded
$46,100 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master's For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 48,197 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 298 colleges that offered a degree in engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great engineering programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Engineering (Income $30-$48k)

#1

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 298 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. MIT is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 525 masters’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

MIT also took the #1 spot in our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at MIT are $56,719.

Read full report on Engineering at MIT

#2

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 298 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 654 degrees to qualified masters’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford University are $55,011.

Read more about Engineering at Stanford University

#3

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s engineering degrees to 272 students in 2019-2020.

Duke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Duke are $59,140, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Engineering at Duke

#4

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s engineering degrees to 313 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern are $56,567.

Full Northwestern University Engineering Report

#5

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#10 in overall quality

Out of the 298 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 179 degrees to qualified masters’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

Harvard also took the #10 spot in our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard University are $50,654, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Engineering at Harvard University

#6

Rice University

Houston, Texas
#25 in overall quality

Rice University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Houston, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s engineering degrees to 93 students in 2019-2020.

Rice also took the #25 spot in our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Rice are $47,913, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Engineering at Rice University

#7

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 295 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UPenn are $41,760, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Engineering at University of Pennsylvania

#8

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Princeton University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Princeton, New Jersey, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 73 degrees to qualified masters’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

Princeton also took the #9 spot in our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Princeton are $56,470, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Princeton University Engineering Report

#9

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#13 in overall quality

Washington University in St Louis landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 295 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

WUSTL also made our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #13. Average graduate tuition and fees at WUSTL are $56,562, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Engineering at Washington University in St Louis

#10

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire
#7 in overall quality

Dartmouth College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Dartmouth College is located in Hanover, New Hampshire and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 169 masters’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Dartmouth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Dartmouth College are $58,120, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Dartmouth College Engineering Report

#11

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
#19 in overall quality

Brown University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Providence, Rhode Island is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s engineering degrees to 79 students in 2019-2020.

Brown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Brown University are $60,363.

Read full report on Engineering at Brown University

#12

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#3 in overall quality

Johns Hopkins University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 759 degrees to qualified masters’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

Johns Hopkins also made our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #3. Average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins are $59,425, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Engineering at Johns Hopkins University

#4 in overall quality

Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s engineering degrees to 1,110 students in 2019-2020.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia University in the City of New York are $51,194, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Columbia Engineering Report

#14

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#12 in overall quality

Cornell University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cornell is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 803 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornell also took the #12 spot in our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell University are $30,042.

Full Cornell Engineering Report

#15

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
Top 15% in overall quality

Vanderbilt University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Vanderbilt University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 43 masters’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Vanderbilt also claimed a top spot on our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at Vanderbilt are $50,624, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Vanderbilt Engineering Report

#16

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
Top 15% in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, University of Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school awarded 548 degrees to qualified masters’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UF is in the top on our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Florida are $30,130, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Engineering at UF

#17

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#18 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 1,083 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, U-M has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor are $49,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Engineering at U-M

#23 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 367 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Engineering at UW - Madison

#19

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Northeastern University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northeastern is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1,583 masters’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northeastern, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northeastern University are $25,558, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Engineering at Northeastern

#20

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts
#21 in overall quality

Tufts University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Tufts is a private not-for-profit institution located in Medford, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 91 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Tufts also made our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #21. Average graduate tuition and fees at Tufts University are $55,168, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Engineering at Tufts

#21

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
Top 15% in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 773 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Purdue also did well on our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue are $28,794, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Engineering at Purdue

#22

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
Top 10% in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, University of Notre Dame did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Notre Dame is located in Notre Dame, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 117 masters’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Notre Dame also claimed a top spot on our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Notre Dame are $57,522.

Full University of Notre Dame Engineering Report

Top 15% in overall quality

University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW Seattle is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 576 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle excels when it comes to engineering quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW Seattle are $30,294, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UW Seattle Engineering Report

#24

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#14 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 842 degrees to qualified masters’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Berkeley are $29,347.

Read more about Engineering at UC Berkeley

#25

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

With a ranking of #25, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 2 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill also made our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #0. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UNC Chapel Hill are $30,248.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Engineering Report

Rest of the Best 45 in Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 45 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#28

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#29

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#30

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
#36

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#37

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida
#41

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#42

The City College of New York

New York, New York

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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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