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2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

67 Ranked Colleges
21,884 Degrees Awarded
$14,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 21,884 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 67 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

#1

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Purdue is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2,012 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,986 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus Engineering Report

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 1,667 students in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,880 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Engineering at UIUC

#6 in overall quality

Out of the 67 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,013 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $17,708 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid per year to attend UW - Madison.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at UW - Madison

#4

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan
#12 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ferris State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Located in Big Rapids, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 58 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid list, Ferris has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,889 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid per year to attend Ferris.

Read full report on Engineering at Ferris State University

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 1,196 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,336 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full U-M Engineering Report

#6

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of Wisconsin - Stout did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 110 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

UW - Stout did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Stout is $15,839 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - Stout Engineering Report

#7

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

Purdue University Northwest landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Purdue University Northwest is located in Hammond, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 141 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Purdue Northwest is $11,250 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

Full Purdue Northwest Engineering Report

With a ranking of #8, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 560 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,312 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 full report on Engineering at UIC

#9

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#14 in overall quality

Michigan State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school awarded 911 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid list, Michigan State has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $19,173 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Engineering at Michigan State University

#10

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#22 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Platteville ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is a medium-sized school located in Platteville, Wisconsin that handed out 500 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Platteville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Platteville is $15,718 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

Read full report on Engineering at UW - Platteville

University of Michigan - Dearborn landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UM Dearborn is a medium-sized public school situated in Dearborn, Michigan. It awarded 343 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,473 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid per year to attend UM Dearborn.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 UM Dearborn Engineering Report

#13 in overall quality

Michigan Technological University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Houghton, Michigan, this medium-sized public school awarded 722 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

Michigan Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Michigan Tech is $16,463 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at Michigan Tech

Wright State University - Lake Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. This small school is located in Celina, Ohio, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Wright State University - Lake Campus is $12,099 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

Read more about Engineering at Wright State University - Lake Campus

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school awarded 330 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $11,285 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

Full IUPUI Engineering Report

#15

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Oakland University is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 383 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $11,802 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

Read more about Engineering at Oakland

#11 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,822 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $17,616 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid per year to attend Ohio State.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Engineering Report

University of Michigan - Flint did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. UM Flint is a medium-sized public school situated in Flint, Michigan. It awarded 26 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Flint is $12,734 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

Read more about Engineering at UM Flint

#18

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UWM is a public institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 295 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UWM is $17,876 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

Full UWM Engineering Report

#19

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan

Saginaw Valley State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University Center, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 73 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,248 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid per year to attend Saginaw Valley State University.

Full Saginaw Valley State University Engineering Report

#20

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 238 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $18,259 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

Read more about Engineering at NIU

#21

Lake Superior State University

Sault Ste Marie, Michigan

Lake Superior State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. This small school is located in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Lake Superior State University is $12,398 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

Read more about Engineering at Lake Superior State University

#22

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. This large school is located in Allendale, Michigan, and it awarded 135 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $17,646 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

The low 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%.

Full Grand Valley State University Engineering Report

#23

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. University of Southern Indiana is a fairly large public school situated in Evansville, Indiana. It awarded 71 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for USI is $13,437 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Southern Indiana Engineering Report

#24

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan

With a ranking of #24, Wayne State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Detroit, Michigan, this large public school awarded 269 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Wayne State University is $13,965 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid.

Read more about Engineering at Wayne State

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 206 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,423 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree engineering students with aid per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Read more about Engineering at SIUE

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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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