Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Engineering

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

43 Ranked Colleges
15,570 Degrees Awarded
$61,845 Avg Salary
Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 $48-$75k” ranking.

Engineering is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 6th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 200,458 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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.

This year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 43 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.

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.

More Ways to Rank Engineering Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools 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 Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

#1

Rice University

Houston, Texas
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rice University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Rice is located in Houston, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 167 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rice, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Rice is $7,318 for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Engineering at Rice

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Edinburg, Texas, and it awarded 278 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UT Rio Grande Valley is $6,405 for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

#2 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 $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Austin landed the #3 spot on the list. The University of Texas at Austin is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,378 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $15,757 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UT Austin.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#17 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas of the Permian Basin. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k 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 $10,417 for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Engineering at UT Permian Basin

#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 $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in College Station, Texas, and it awarded 2,078 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, Texas A&M College Station has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $18,810 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Texas A&M University - 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

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

#6

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
#14 in overall quality

University of Houston did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. UH is a large public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 626 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UH, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Houston is $12,505 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Houston Engineering Report

The University of Texas at San Antonio ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. The University of Texas at San Antonio is a public institution located in San Antonio, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 479 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,827 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend The University of Texas at San Antonio.

Read full report on Engineering at The University of Texas at San Antonio

#8

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas
#6 in overall quality

Texas Tech University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Lubbock, Texas, and it awarded 872 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Tech is $17,421 for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full Texas Tech Engineering Report

#13 in overall quality

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. OSU is a large public school situated in Stillwater, Oklahoma. It awarded 626 bachelors’s engineering 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 $14,698 for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus.

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

Read more about Engineering at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus

#20 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Tyler 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 $48-$75k ranking. Located in Tyler, Texas, this medium-sized public school awarded 222 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

UT Tyler also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Tyler is $10,037 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Engineering at UT Tyler

#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, The University of Texas at Dallas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Richardson, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 675 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, UT Dallas has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $13,797 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UT Dallas.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full The University of Texas at Dallas Engineering Report

#12

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona
#16 in overall quality

University of Arizona ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Arizona is a public institution located in Tucson, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 587 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Arizona is $15,399 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read more about Engineering at University of Arizona

#13

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas
#18 in overall quality

Texas State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Texas State is a large school located in San Marcos, Texas that handed out 160 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas State also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Texas State University is $14,250 for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Engineering at Texas State

#8 in overall quality

Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Arizona State University - Tempe is a large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 1,605 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

ASU - Tempe did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $14,033 for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#15

Trinity University

San Antonio, Texas
#5 in overall quality

Trinity University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Trinity U is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Antonio, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Trinity U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $18,012 for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Trinity U.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Engineering at Trinity U

The University of Texas at El Paso came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in El Paso, Texas, and it awarded 513 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at El Paso is $10,786 for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Engineering at The University of Texas at El Paso

With a ranking of #17, New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. New Mexico State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Las Cruces, New Mexico. It awarded 310 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for NMSU Main Campus is $10,235 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full NMSU Main Campus Engineering Report

#18

Lamar University

Beaumont, Texas
#22 in overall quality

Lamar University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Beaumont, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 210 students in 2019-2020.

Lamar University also took the #22 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lamar University is $14,818 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Lamar University Engineering Report

#19

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas
#25 in overall quality

University of North Texas came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UNT is a public institution located in Denton, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 320 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNT did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UNT is $15,377 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full University of North Texas Engineering Report

#19 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Arlington came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Arlington, Texas, this large public school awarded 616 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Arlington, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $14,622 for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UT Arlington.

Read full report on Engineering at UT Arlington

#21

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas

MSU Texas landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Wichita Falls, Texas, this medium-sized public school awarded 50 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,068 for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend MSU Texas.

Read full report on Engineering at MSU Texas

#23 in overall quality

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. New Mexico Tech is a small school located in Socorro, New Mexico that handed out 174 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

New Mexico Tech also took the #23 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology is $14,429 for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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.

Full New Mexico Tech Engineering Report

Texas A&M University - Kingsville landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Texas A&M Kingsville is a medium-sized school located in Kingsville, Texas that handed out 309 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,464 for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Texas A&M Kingsville.

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

#24

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. NAU is a large school located in Flagstaff, Arizona that handed out 341 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,675 for southwest region bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northern Arizona University.

Full Northern Arizona University Engineering Report

#25

West Texas A&M University

Canyon, Texas

West Texas A&M University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Canyon, Texas, this fairly large public school handed out 63 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend West Texas A&M University is $11,101 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full West Texas A&M University Engineering Report

Switch to a More Focused Major

General Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for General Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Agricultural Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Agricultural Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Biomedical Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Biomedical Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Civil Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Civil Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Electrical Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Electrical Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Engineering Science
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Science (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Materials Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Materials Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Metallurgical Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Metallurgical Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Marine Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Marine Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Ocean Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Ocean Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Systems Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Systems Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Industrial Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Industrial Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Operations Research
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Operations Research (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Biological Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Biological Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Architectural Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Architectural Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Chemical Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Computer Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Computer Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Engineering Physics
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Physics (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Environmental Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Environmental Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Mechanical Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Mining Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Mining Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Nuclear Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Nuclear Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Petroleum Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Petroleum Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Construction Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Construction Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Manufacturing Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Manufacturing Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Geoscience Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geoscience Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Electrical and Computer Engineering. (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Credits

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You