2023 Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Mechanical Engineering School for You
In 2020-2021, 46,178 people earned a degree or certificate in mechanical engineering, making the major the #21 most popular in the United States.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 319 schools in the United States to see which programs offered the best value experiences for ME students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 25 Best Schools for Affordable Quality in Mechanical Engineering
Our 2023 rankings named Brigham Young University - Idaho the best value school in the United States for mechanical engineering students. Located in the town of Rexburg, BYU - I is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
BYU - I undergraduate students pay an average of $4,416 in tuition and fees each year. On average, ME graduates from BYU - I take out $16,880 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 Puerto Rico - Mayaguez. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools list. Located in the city of Mayaguez, UPR Mayaguez is a public college with a large student population.
UPR Mayaguez undergraduate students pay an average of $4,840 in tuition and fees each year. ME majors at UPR Mayaguez take out an average of $8,250 in student loans while working on their egree.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Brigham Young University - Provo. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools list. Located in the midsize city of Provo, BYU is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at BYU are $6,120 per year. After completing their degree, ME graduates from BYU carry an average student debtload of $10,544.
In addition to its great value ranking, BYU is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Mechanical Engineering Schools list.
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The excellent programs at California State University Maritime Academy helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best mechanical engineering schools in the United States. Cal Maritime is a small public school located in the medium-sized city of Vallejo.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Cal Maritime are $18,996 a year. While working on their degree, ME majors at Cal Maritime accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
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Out of the 319 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Austin Community College District landed the # 5 spot on the list. Austin Community College District is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Austin.
Austin Community College District undergraduate students pay an average of $10,590 in tuition and fees each year.
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University of Wisconsin - Stout landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value mechanical engineering programs. UW - Stout is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Menomonie.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW - Stout are $17,820 per year. While working on their degree, ME majors at UW - Stout accumulate an average of around $27,123 in student debt.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW - Stout also is in the top 10% of our Best Mechanical Engineering Schools ranking.
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West Texas A&M University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools ranking. Located in the fringe town of Canyon, West Texas A&M University is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at West Texas A&M University are $11,208 a year. After completing their degree, ME graduates from West Texas A&M University carry an average student debtload of $19,042.
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University of Akron Main Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for mechanical engineering students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the midsize city of Akron, University of Akron Main Campus is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at University of Akron Main Campus are $11,880 per year. After completing their degree, ME graduates from University of Akron Main Campus carry an average student debtload of $27,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $228.
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With a ranking of #9, Central Michigan University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for mechanical engineering students. Central Michigan is a large public school located in the town of Mount Pleasant.
Central Michigan undergraduate students pay an average of $13,094 in tuition and fees each year. On average, ME graduates from Central Michigan take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $274.
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South Dakota State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools ranking. Located in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State is a public school with a large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at South Dakota State are $12,809 per year. ME majors at South Dakota State take out an average of $26,750 in student loans while working on their egree.
South Dakota State excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Mechanical Engineering Schools list.
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North Dakota State University - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools list. North Dakota State University is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Fargo.
North Dakota State University undergraduate students pay an average of $14,876 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, ME majors at North Dakota State University accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, North Dakota State University also did well on our Best Mechanical Engineering Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for mechanical engineering students. It came in at #12 on the list. Located in the town of Platteville, UW - Platteville is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
UW - Platteville undergraduate students pay an average of $16,483 in tuition and fees each year. On average, ME graduates from UW - Platteville take out $26,319 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $180.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW - Platteville also is in the top 10% of our Best Mechanical Engineering Schools ranking.
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Youngstown State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools list. Located in the city of Youngstown, Youngstown State University is a public school with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Youngstown State University are $9,732 a year. After completing their degree, ME graduates from Youngstown State University carry an average student debtload of $23,000.
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University of North Dakota ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools list. Located in the city of Grand Forks, UND is a public college with a large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UND are $15,037 per year. On average, ME graduates from UND take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
UND also claimed a spot on our Best Mechanical Engineering Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools ranking. SIUE is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Edwardsville.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SIUE are $11,496 per year. After completing their degree, ME graduates from SIUE carry an average student debtload of $21,500. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $231.
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With a ranking of #16, Lake Superior State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for mechanical engineering students. Located in the remote town of Sault Ste Marie, Lake Superior State University is a public school with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Lake Superior State University are $13,200 per year.
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Northern Illinois University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools list. NIU is a large public school located in the small suburb of Dekalb.
NIU undergraduate students pay an average of $14,738 in tuition and fees each year. ME majors at NIU take out an average of $26,871 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $192.
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South Dakota School of Mines and Technology landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value mechanical engineering programs. Located in the city of Rapid City, SD Mines is a public college with a small student population.
SD Mines undergraduate students pay an average of $16,530 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that ME majors at SD Mines take out is $27,825. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $251.
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Grand Valley State University landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value mechanical engineering programs. Located in the large suburb of Allendale, GVSU is a public college with a very large student population.
GVSU undergraduate students pay an average of $19,628 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, ME majors at GVSU accumulate an average of around $28,407 in student debt.
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Baker College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for mechanical engineering students. It came in at #20 on the list. Baker College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Owosso.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Baker College are $12,420 a year. On average, ME graduates from Baker College take out $25,970 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Wright State University - Lake Campus ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools list. Wright State University - Lake Campus is a small public school located in the rural area of Celina.
Wright State University - Lake Campus undergraduate students pay an average of $16,015 in tuition and fees each year. On average, ME graduates from Wright State University - Lake Campus take out $23,945 in student loans while working on their degree.
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With a ranking of #22, Purdue University Northwest did quite well on this year’s best value schools for mechanical engineering students. Located in the suburb of Hammond, Purdue Northwest is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Purdue Northwest are $14,349 per year. After completing their degree, ME graduates from Purdue Northwest carry an average student debtload of $24,500.
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SUNY Maritime College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for mechanical engineering students. It came in at #22 on the list. SUNY Maritime College is a small public school located in the large city of Throggs Neck.
SUNY Maritime College undergraduate students pay an average of $18,432 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, ME graduates from SUNY Maritime College carry an average student debtload of $26,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $334.
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Louisiana Tech University landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value mechanical engineering programs. Located in the town of Ruston, Louisiana Tech is a public college with a large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Louisiana Tech are $16,806 per year. While working on their degree, ME majors at Louisiana Tech accumulate an average of around $26,705 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $191.
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With a ranking of #25, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well on this year’s best value schools for mechanical engineering students. Ship is a moderately-sized public school located in the fringe town of Shippensburg.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Ship are $14,122 per year.
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Additional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great value schools for Mechanical Engineering students seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 48 | Minnesota State University - Mankato | Mankato, MN |
| 49 | Georgia Southern University | Statesboro, GA |
| 50 | Southern Illinois University Carbondale | Carbondale, IL |
| 51 | The College of New Jersey | Ewing, NJ |
| 52 | The University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX |
| 53 | Michigan Technological University | Houghton, MI |
| 54 | Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus | Atlanta, GA |
| 55 | Lawrence Technological University | Southfield, MI |
| 56 | University of Nebraska - Lincoln | Lincoln, NE |
| 57 | Florida International University | Miami, FL |
| 58 | Montana Technological University | Butte, MT |
| 59 | University of Wyoming | Laramie, WY |
| 59 | University of Florida | Gainesville, FL |
| 61 | University of Wisconsin - Madison | Madison, WI |
| 61 | Arkansas Tech University | Russellville, AR |
| 63 | University of New Orleans | New Orleans, LA |
| 63 | University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown | Johnstown, PA |
Mechanical Engineering by Region
View the Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Mechanical Engineering Rankings
Mechanical Engineering Related Majors for ME
One of 40 majors within the area of study, mechanical engineering has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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.
- 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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