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Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region

2023 Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region

55 Colleges
$71,318 Avg Salary
$24,852 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Mechanical Engineering School for You

Out of all the majors we analyze each year, mechanical engineering was ranked #21 in the country. In fact 46,178 degrees and certificates were handed out in 2020-2021.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

The Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 55 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Check out the ME programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Mechanical Engineering Schools

#1

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN

Our 2023 rankings named University of Notre Dame the best school in the Great Lakes Region for mechanical engineering students. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Notre Dame.

After completing their degree, ME graduates from Notre Dame carry an average student debtload of $21,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $643.

Full Mechanical Engineering at University of Notre Dame Report

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Terre Haute.

After completing their degree, ME graduates from Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology carry an average student debtload of $26,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $876, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Mechanical Engineering at Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology Report

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#3

Kettering University

Flint, MI

Out of the 55 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Kettering University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the small city of Flint, Kettering is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

ME majors at Kettering take out an average of $28,042 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $313.

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#4

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Northwestern University is a great place for mechanical engineering students. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Evanston.

On average, ME graduates from Northwestern take out $15,500 in student loans while working on their degree.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. U-M is a very large public school located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor.

While working on their degree, ME majors at U-M accumulate an average of around $19,375 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $434.

Full Mechanical Engineering at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Report

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#6

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, IN

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #6 on this year’s Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue is a fairly large public school located in the city of West Lafayette.

ME majors at Purdue take out an average of $19,500 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $572, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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University of Wisconsin - Stout ranked #7 on this year’s Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the distant town of Menomonie, UW - Stout is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

On average, ME graduates from UW - Stout take out $27,123 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Mechanical Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Stout Report

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University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best mechanical engineering programs. UW - Madison is a very large public school located in the city of Madison.

The average amount in student loans that ME majors at UW - Madison take out is $22,752.

Full Mechanical Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Madison Report

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With a ranking of #9, Michigan Technological University did quite well on this year’s best schools for mechanical engineering students. Located in the remote town of Houghton, Michigan Tech is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

While working on their degree, ME majors at Michigan Tech accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $271, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Technological University Report

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#10

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI

Michigan State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for mechanical engineering students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the small city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public college with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, ME majors at Michigan State accumulate an average of around $22,500 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $441.

Full Mechanical Engineering at Michigan State University Report

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Best Mechanical Engineering Colleges by State

Explore the best mechanical engineering colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 2,498
Ohio 2,106
Illinois 1,183
Indiana 1,336
Wisconsin 855

Mechanical Engineering is one of 40 different types of programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Electrical Engineering 28,844
Civil Engineering 21,388
Computer Engineering 17,987
Chemical Engineering 12,917
Biomedical Engineering 12,811

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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 the rest 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Michel Villeneuve.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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