2023 Best Value Colleges for Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in the Southeast Region
74
Ranked Colleges
40,301
Degrees Awarded
$8,800
Avg Net Price*
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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 198,468 engineering students received their degree, making the major the 7th most popular in the country. In 2019-2020, engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $68,653 and had an average of $23,855 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Southeast region, there were 40,301 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $65,769 and $24,379 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 74 colleges that offered a degree in engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality engineering programs that also have a lower cost than 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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 in the Southeast 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. 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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in the Southeast Region
Out of the 74 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #1 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Durham, North Carolina, and it awarded 689 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Duke also took the #1 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Duke University is $-927 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Engineering at Duke University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 2,403 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UF, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $2,857 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 more about Engineering at UF
Out of the 74 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #3 spot on the list. Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 296 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Vanderbilt also made our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $4,652 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Vanderbilt University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read full report on Engineering at Vanderbilt
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 94 students in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $5,729 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Out of the 74 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 3,407 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Georgia Tech also took the #2 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Georgia Tech is $11,712 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 Georgia Tech Engineering Report
University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. USF Tampa is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 943 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
USF Tampa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $5,632 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Engineering at University of South Florida - Main Campus
North Carolina State University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. NC State is a large public school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 2,631 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
NC State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend NC State is $9,448 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering at North Carolina State University
University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Charlottesville, Virginia. It awarded 749 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Virginia also made our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus is $10,063 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read full report on Engineering at University of Virginia
University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. UCF is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 1,628 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, UCF has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCF is $6,256 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.
Read more about Engineering at UCF
Florida State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 424 students in 2020-2021.
Florida State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Florida State University is $7,349 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.
Full Florida State Engineering Report
Wake Technical Community College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Wake Technical Community College is a large public school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 133 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Wake Technical Community College is $4,842 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Engineering at Wake Technical Community College
Florida International University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. FIU is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 977 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $4,882 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Florida International University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering at Florida International University
Virginia Tech landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Virginia Tech is a public institution located in Blacksburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2,227 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Virginia Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $14,003 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Virginia Tech.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Virginia Tech Engineering Report
University of Georgia landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Athens, Georgia, this large public school handed out 463 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UGA, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UGA is $10,688 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UGA Engineering Report
With a ranking of #15, University of North Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of North Florida is a fairly large school located in Jacksonville, Florida that handed out 172 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $6,074 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UNF.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UNF Engineering Report
The University of West Florida landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Pensacola, Florida, this fairly large public school awarded 108 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,827 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UWF.
Full The University of West Florida Engineering Report
With a ranking of #17, Clemson University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Clemson, South Carolina, and it awarded 1,525 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Clemson not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $16,650 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Clemson University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Clemson Engineering Report
Florida Atlantic University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. FAU is located in Boca Raton, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 404 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $8,262 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Florida Atlantic University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full FAU Engineering Report
West Virginia University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. West Virginia University is a large public school situated in Morgantown, West Virginia. It awarded 821 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend WVU is $10,250 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Engineering at WVU
North Carolina A & T State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Greensboro, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 365 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $9,170 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend North Carolina A & T State University.
Read more about Engineering at NC A&T
Citadel Military College of South Carolina came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. The Citadel is a public institution located in Charleston, South Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 176 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $12,364 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend The Citadel.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering at The Citadel
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a public institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 880 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UT Knoxville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is $13,970 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Engineering at UT Knoxville
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Baton Rouge, Louisiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 756 students in 2020-2021.
Louisiana State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Louisiana State University is $15,403 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Engineering at Louisiana State University
Mississippi State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Mississippi State University is located in Mississippi State, Mississippi and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 900 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mississippi State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mississippi State is $13,553 for Southeast Region Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Engineering at Mississippi State University
University of Kentucky landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Lexington, Kentucky, this large public school awarded 649 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
UK not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Kentucky is $13,424 for southeast region engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 more about Engineering at UK
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