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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering in the Plains States Region

28 Ranked Colleges
9,086 Degrees Awarded
$18,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 200,458 engineering students received their degree, making the major the 6th most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $64,888 and had an average of $23,564 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 12,638 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $63,836 and $23,524 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 9,086 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking looked at 28 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent engineering programs, but they also cost less that 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

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering in the Plains States Region

#1

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Winona State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. Winona State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Winona, Minnesota. It awarded 18 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Winona State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Winona State is $17,656 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at Winona State

#2

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota
#17 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend South Dakota State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. South Dakota State is a fairly large school located in Brookings, South Dakota that handed out 163 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

South Dakota State also took the #17 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for South Dakota State is $19,252 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students.

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 South Dakota State Engineering Report

#14 in overall quality

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, North Dakota State University - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Fargo, North Dakota, and it awarded 380 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

North Dakota State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus is $16,584 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 North Dakota State University Engineering Report

#18 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. This small school is located in Rapid City, South Dakota, and it awarded 322 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

SD Mines also took the #18 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $19,815 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students per year to attend South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

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 full report on Engineering at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

#5

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota
#16 in overall quality

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Dakota landed the #5 spot on the list. UND is a fairly large public school situated in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It awarded 271 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UND also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $15,738 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend UND.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.

Read full report on Engineering at UND

#15 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Duluth came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Duluth, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 299 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Duluth, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Duluth is $17,067 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Duluth Engineering Report

#2 in overall quality

Iowa State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Iowa State University is a public institution located in Ames, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,571 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State University is $15,496 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, 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 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at Iowa State University

#8

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#23 in overall quality

Saint Cloud State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Saint Cloud State University is a public institution located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 108 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Cloud State University also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend Saint Cloud State University is $14,267 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students.

Read full report on Engineering at St. Cloud State University

#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large school located in Mankato, Minnesota that handed out 146 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Minnesota State Mankato did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $16,221 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend Minnesota State University - Mankato.

The 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 full report on Engineering at Minnesota State Mankato

#10

Dunwoody College of Technology

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#5 in overall quality

Dunwoody College of Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #10. This small school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Dunwoody College of Technology also took the #5 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $24,488 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students per year to attend Dunwoody College of Technology.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 Dunwoody College of Technology

#11

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas
#10 in overall quality

Kansas State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. K -State is a public institution located in Manhattan, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 597 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students list, K -State has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $18,285 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend Kansas State University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Engineering at Kansas State University

#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. UNL is a public institution located in Lincoln, Nebraska. The school has a large population, and it awarded 505 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNL, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $17,208 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Nebraska - Lincoln Engineering Report

#13

Wichita State University

Wichita, Kansas

Wichita State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. WSU is a public institution located in Wichita, Kansas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 298 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Wichita State University is $14,382 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

Read more about Engineering at Wichita State University

#6 in overall quality

Missouri University of Science and Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #14. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a public institution located in Rolla, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 949 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Missouri University of Science and Technology also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology is $14,262 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Missouri University of Science and Technology

#9 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #15. University of Missouri - Columbia is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 475 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Mizzou also took the #9 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mizzou is $16,001 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Engineering at Mizzou

#16

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, Missouri

University of Central Missouri ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. UCM is a medium-sized school located in Warrensburg, Missouri that handed out 8 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,677 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend University of Central Missouri.

Full University of Central Missouri Engineering Report

#17

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas
#19 in overall quality

University of Kansas came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Lawrence, Kansas, this large public school awarded 418 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

KU also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $18,918 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend University of Kansas.

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

Read more about Engineering at University of Kansas

#18

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school handed out 895 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $17,740 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Engineering Report

#19

Loras College

Dubuque, Iowa
#7 in overall quality

Loras College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Dubuque, Iowa, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Loras not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Loras College is $20,676 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 Loras

#20

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#12 in overall quality

University of Iowa ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 494 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa is $19,145 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 University of Iowa Engineering Report

#21

University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri
#24 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Kansas City ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Located in Kansas City, Missouri, this fairly large public school awarded 148 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

UMKC also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend UMKC is $14,643 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

Full University of Missouri - Kansas City Engineering Report

#22

Dordt University

Sioux Center, Iowa
#22 in overall quality

Dordt University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Sioux Center, Iowa, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Dordt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Dordt University is $25,102 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

The low student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 Dordt University

#23

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

With a ranking of #23, University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large public school handed out 75 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - St Louis is $9,435 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

Read more about Engineering at University of Missouri - St Louis

#24

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, Iowa
#20 in overall quality

Saint Ambrose University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #24. St. Ambrose University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Davenport, Iowa. It awarded 49 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Ambrose University also took the #20 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Ambrose University is $26,204 for plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students.

Full Saint Ambrose University Engineering Report

#25

University of St Thomas Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, University of St Thomas Minnesota did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 132 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree engineering students list, UST MN has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UST MN is $29,155 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Engineering at University of St Thomas Minnesota

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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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