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2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

45 Ranked Colleges
7,612 Degrees Awarded
$27,900 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

With 200,458 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, engineering is the 6th most popular major in the United States. 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 Great Lakes region, there were 32,788 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $66,596 and $24,858 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 7,612 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,039 and $42,488 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 45 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality engineering programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the engineering program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Engineering Schools

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 Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

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

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 313 diplomas to qualified masters’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also made our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern are $56,567.

Read more about Engineering at Northwestern University

#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 1,083 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M also made our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor are $49,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Engineering at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 45 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #3 spot on the list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s engineering degrees to 367 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Madison are $25,523, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#4

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Purdue University - Main Campus is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 773 masters’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University - Main Campus are $28,794, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Engineering at Purdue

#5

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 45 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Notre Dame landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 117 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Notre Dame are $57,522, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Notre Dame Engineering Report

#6 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 654 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UIUC Engineering Report

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Michigan Technological University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Michigan Tech is located in Houghton, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 207 masters’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan Tech, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan Technological University are $21,996.

Full Michigan Tech Engineering Report

#10 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school handed out 409 diplomas to qualified masters’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, Ohio State has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio State University - Main Campus are $37,141, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Engineering at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#9

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#16 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Platteville came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is located in Platteville, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 59 masters’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

UW - Platteville also took the #16 spot in our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Platteville are $18,226, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Wisconsin - Platteville Engineering Report

#10

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan
#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Oakland University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and it awarded 152 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, Oakland has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Oakland University are $24,648, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Oakland University Engineering Report

#11

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

Purdue University Northwest did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Purdue Northwest is a public institution located in Hammond, Indiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 58 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue Northwest are $11,633, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Engineering at Purdue Northwest

#12

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#20 in overall quality

Grand Valley State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school awarded 34 degrees to qualified masters’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, GVSU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at GVSU are $17,448, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Engineering at GVSU

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. IUPUI is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 135 masters’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at IUPUI are $26,013, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Engineering at IUPUI

#22 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Dearborn came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Dearborn, Michigan, and it awarded 253 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UM Dearborn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Dearborn are $25,072.

Read more about Engineering at University of Michigan - Dearborn

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s engineering degrees to 55 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville are $9,300, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Engineering at SIUE

#16

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stout came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 19 degrees to qualified masters’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Stout are $16,851, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UW - Stout Engineering Report

#17

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

With a ranking of #17, Purdue University Fort Wayne did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and it awarded 18 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at PFW are $14,618.

Read more about Engineering at PFW

With a ranking of #18, University of Michigan - Flint did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Flint, Michigan, this medium-sized public school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified masters’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

UM Flint not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #0 on our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Flint are $18,202, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Engineering at UM Flint

#23 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 283 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UIC are $27,036.

Read more about Engineering at UIC

#20

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Detroit, Michigan, and it awarded 264 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Wayne State University are $37,215.

Read more about Engineering at Wayne State University

#7 in overall quality

Case Western Reserve University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Case Western Reserve University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cleveland, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 155 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Case Western also made our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. Average graduate tuition and fees at Case Western Reserve University are $47,958, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Engineering at Case Western

#22

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

With a ranking of #22, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Central Michigan University is a fairly large school located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan that handed out 7 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Central Michigan, the school also landed the #0 spot in our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Central Michigan University are $19,359.

Full Central Michigan University Engineering Report

#23

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. NIU is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 90 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Northern Illinois University are $11,086, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Engineering at NIU

#24

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#15 in overall quality

Michigan State University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Michigan State is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 79 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan State University are $37,056.

Read full report on Engineering at Michigan State

#25

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UWM is a large school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 59 masters’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee are $25,295.

Read more about Engineering at UWM

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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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