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Best Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region

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2023 Best Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region

53 Colleges
$69,005 Avg Salary
$24,728 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Engineering School for You

With 198,468 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, engineering is the #7 most popular major in the United States.

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're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 53 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region

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

Top 10 Best Engineering Schools

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

Our 2023 rankings named Northwestern University the best school in the Great Lakes Region for engineering students. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston.

On average, engineering graduates from Northwestern take out $15,958 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Engineering at Northwestern University Report

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology is a great place for engineering students. Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Terre Haute.

Engineering majors at Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology take out an average of $25,821 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $925, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Engineering at Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology Report

#3

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Notre Dame. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Notre Dame.

After completing their degree, engineering graduates from Notre Dame carry an average student debtload of $19,915. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $571.

Read full report on Engineering at University of Notre Dame

#4

Kettering University

Flint, MI

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Kettering University is a great place for engineering students. Located in the city of Flint, Kettering is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

While working on their degree, engineering majors at Kettering accumulate an average of around $29,833 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $313.

Read full report on Engineering at Kettering University

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a great place for engineering students. U-M is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor.

While working on their degree, engineering majors at U-M accumulate an average of around $19,282 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $434, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

#6

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, IN

With a ranking of #6, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on this year’s best schools for engineering students. Purdue is a very large public school located in the city of West Lafayette.

On average, engineering graduates from Purdue take out $20,319 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 $496.

Read More…

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for engineering students. It came in at #7 on the list. UW - Madison is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Madison.

Engineering majors at UW - Madison take out an average of $24,429 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read More…

University of Wisconsin - Stout landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best engineering programs. Located in the distant town of Menomonie, UW - Stout is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that engineering majors at UW - Stout take out is $27,977.

Read More…

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for engineering students. It came in at #9 on the list. UIUC is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Champaign.

The average amount in student loans that engineering majors at UIUC take out is $19,526. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $498.

Read full report on Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#10

Marquette University

Milwaukee, WI

Marquette University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for engineering students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the city of Milwaukee, Marquette is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

On average, engineering graduates from Marquette take out $25,532 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 $464.

Read More…

Best Engineering Colleges by State

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

State Degrees Awarded
Indiana 5,383
Michigan 8,586
Ohio 8,648
Illinois 6,581
Wisconsin 3,396

Engineering Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Mechanical Engineering 46,178
Electrical Engineering 28,844
Civil Engineering 21,388
Computer Engineering 17,987
Chemical Engineering 12,917
Biomedical Engineering 12,811
General Engineering 11,796
Industrial Engineering 9,072
Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering 8,001
Systems Engineering 3,904
Materials Engineering 3,415
Other Engineering 2,760
Environmental Engineering 2,759
Operations Research 1,698
Agricultural Engineering 1,472
Engineering Science 1,454
Electrical and Computer Engineering. 1,378
Petroleum Engineering 1,256
Robotics Engineering 1,243
Architectural Engineering 1,012
Engineering Physics 994
Manufacturing Engineering 947
Construction Engineering 878
Nuclear Engineering 864
Marine Engineering 445
Biological Engineering 410
Polymer & Plastics Engineering 360
Geoscience Engineering 325
Mining Engineering 314
Textile Engineering 310
Ocean Engineering 285
Engineering Mechanics 272
Metallurgical Engineering 179
Energy Systems Engineering 138
Biochemical Engineering 109
Ceramic Engineering 94
Surveying Engineering 73
Electromechanical Engineering 45
Forest Engineering 41
Paper Science & Engineering 27
Engineering Chemistry 13

Majors Similar to Engineering

Related Major Annual Graduates
Computer & Information Sciences 254,454
Biological & Biomedical Sciences 177,778
Engineering Technologies 85,188
Mathematics & Statistics 52,396
Physical Sciences 50,306

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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