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2023 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

59 Ranked Colleges
3,904 Degrees Awarded
$7,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Systems Engineering is the 160th most popular major in the country with 3,904 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, systems engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $89,736 and had an average of $21,799 in loans still to pay off.

For this year’s “Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 59 colleges that offer a degree in systems engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent systems 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 systems engineering program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Systems Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

1
MIT crest
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 208 ’s systems engineering degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our systems engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, MIT has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Systems Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology is $5,193 for systems engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full MIT Systems Engineering Report

2
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Johns Hopkins University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 206 degrees to qualified ’s systems engineering students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Johns Hopkins, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Systems Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins University is $2,084 for systems engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Systems Engineering at Johns Hopkins

3
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school handed out 285 diplomas to qualified ’s systems engineering students in 2020-2021.

UF also made our “Best Systems Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $65 for Systems Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UF.

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%. 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 Systems Engineering at UF

4
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington University in St Louis landed the #4 spot on the list. WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 54 ’s systems engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WUSTL, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Systems Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Washington University in St Louis is $1,556 for systems engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full WUSTL Systems Engineering Report

5
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 81 ’s systems engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn also made our “Best Systems Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $580 for systems engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%.

Full University of Pennsylvania Systems Engineering Report

6

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 89 ’s systems engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M also took the #10 spot in our “Best Systems Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,670 for Systems Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend U-M.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full U-M Systems Engineering Report

7

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 77 ’s systems engineering degrees to qualified students.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Systems Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $4,858 for systems engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 94%.

Read more about Systems Engineering at UIUC

8
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

With a ranking of #8, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Charlottesville, Virginia. It awarded 167 ’s systems engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Virginia, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Systems Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,476 for Systems Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Virginia.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Systems Engineering at University of Virginia - Main Campus

9
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

With a ranking of #9, Cornell University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ithaca, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s systems engineering degrees to 93 students in 2020-2021.

Cornell also made our “Best Systems Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Cornell University is $5,244 for Systems Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cornell Systems Engineering Report

10

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 10 ’s systems engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also took the #21 spot in our “Best Systems Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $3,981 for systems engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - Madison Systems Engineering Report

11

University of California - San Diego landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 36 ’s systems engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Systems Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $9,823 for systems engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 Systems Engineering at UCSD

12

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Georgia Tech is located in Atlanta, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 38 ’s systems engineering degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Georgia Tech, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Systems Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is $8,818 for systems engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full Georgia Tech Systems Engineering Report

13

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Arizona State University - Tempe is a large public school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 8 ’s systems engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $8,969 for Systems Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, 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 86%.

Read full report on Systems Engineering at Arizona State University - Tempe

14
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

With a ranking of #14, University of Arizona did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Tucson, Arizona, this large public school handed out 73 diplomas to qualified ’s systems engineering students in 2020-2021.

University of Arizona also made our “Best Systems Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend University of Arizona is $8,987 for systems engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Full University of Arizona Systems Engineering Report

15
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Southern California is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s systems engineering degrees to qualified students.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Systems Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $17,287 for systems engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Systems Engineering at USC

16

University of Maryland - College Park came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in College Park, Maryland, this large public school handed out 10 degrees to qualified ’s systems engineering students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UMCP is $6,067 for systems engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.

Full UMCP Systems Engineering Report

17

Missouri University of Science and Technology landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a medium-sized public school situated in Rolla, Missouri. It awarded 75 ’s systems engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Missouri University of Science and Technology not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Systems Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri University of Science and Technology is $7,356 for Systems Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Systems Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology

18

University of Michigan - Dearborn landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Dearborn, Michigan, this medium-sized public school handed out 19 degrees to qualified ’s systems engineering students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Dearborn is $9,113 for Systems Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Michigan - Dearborn Systems Engineering Report

19
Northeastern crest
Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts

Northeastern University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northeastern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 84 ’s systems engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern is $10,240 for systems engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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%.

Full Northeastern University Systems Engineering Report

20
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oakland University is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Oakland University is $8,949 for Systems Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Systems Engineering at Oakland

21
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s systems engineering degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,950 for systems engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida State University.

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%.

Read more about Systems Engineering at Florida State University

22
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boston University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 30 ’s systems engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Boston U, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Systems Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Boston University is $12,982 for systems engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Boston University Systems Engineering Report

23
GWU crest
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

With a ranking of #23, George Washington University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. GWU is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 122 ’s systems engineering degrees to qualified students.

GWU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Systems Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend George Washington University is $17,673 for systems engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.

Read more about Systems Engineering at GWU

24

Iowa State University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 8 ’s systems engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $9,766 for Systems Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, 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 Systems Engineering at Iowa State University

25

Colorado State University - Fort Collins did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Colorado State University - Fort Collins is a large school located in Fort Collins, Colorado that handed out 28 ’s systems engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Colorado State University - Fort Collins is $11,924 for systems engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Systems Engineering at Colorado State University - Fort Collins

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