2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in Michigan
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Engineering School for You
Engineering is one of the most popular subjects to study in Michigan. With 8,586 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, it ranked 4th out of all the majors we track in the state.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Engineering Schools in Michigan ranking. This report analyzed 16 schools in Michigan to see which ones offered the best value programs for engineering students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 10 Best Engineering Schools
Our analysis found Ferris State University to be the best value school for engineering students who want to pursue a degree in Michigan. Located in the distant town of Big Rapids, Ferris is a public school with a large student population.
Ferris undergraduate students pay an average of $13,188 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, engineering graduates from Ferris take out $24,535 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Out of the 16 schools in Michigan that were part of this year’s ranking, Grand Valley State University landed the # 2 spot on the list. GVSU is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Allendale.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at GVSU are $13,900 per year. While working on their degree, engineering majors at GVSU accumulate an average of around $25,717 in student debt.
In addition to its great value ranking, GVSU is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Engineering Schools in Michigan list.
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The excellent programs at Saginaw Valley State University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best engineering schools in Michigan. Saginaw Valley State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the midsize suburb of University Center.
Saginaw Valley State University undergraduate students pay an average of $11,130 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, engineering majors at Saginaw Valley State University accumulate an average of around $23,000 in student debt.
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The excellent programs at Michigan State University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best engineering schools in Michigan. Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public college with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Michigan State are $15,966 a year. On average, engineering graduates from Michigan State take out $25,002 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $385, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Michigan State is ranked #4 for overall quality for engineering in Michigan.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Dearborn. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in Michigan list. UM Dearborn is a medium-sized public school located in the medium-sized city of Dearborn.
UM Dearborn undergraduate students pay an average of $13,816 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that engineering majors at UM Dearborn take out is $23,985. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $290.
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University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value engineering programs. U-M is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at U-M are $17,193 a year. The average amount in student loans that engineering majors at U-M take out is $19,282. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $434.
U-M also took the #2 spot in our Best Engineering Schools in Michigan rankings.
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Central Michigan University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for engineering students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the town of Mount Pleasant, Central Michigan is a public college with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Central Michigan are $13,094 per year. On average, engineering graduates from Central Michigan take out $29,000 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $274.
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With a ranking of #8, Michigan Technological University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for engineering students. Located in the town of Houghton, Michigan Tech is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Michigan Tech are $18,215 per year. After completing their degree, engineering graduates from Michigan Tech carry an average student debtload of $26,050. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $284, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Michigan Tech is ranked #3 for overall quality for engineering in Michigan.
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Oakland University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for engineering students. It came in at #9 on the list. Oakland is a large public school located in the suburb of Rochester Hills.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Oakland are $15,135 per year. The average amount in student loans that engineering majors at Oakland take out is $26,065. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $203.
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With a ranking of #10, Lake Superior State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for engineering students. Lake Superior State University is a small public school located in the remote town of Sault Ste Marie.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Lake Superior State University are $13,200 per year.
Request InformationBest Value Engineering Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
Explore all the Best Value Engineering Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Indiana | 5,383 |
| Ohio | 8,648 |
| Illinois | 6,581 |
| Wisconsin | 3,396 |
More Engineering Rankings in Michigan
Majors Related to Engineering
Engineering Majors to Study
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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 16 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 Petty Officer 3rd Class Declan Barnes.
More about our data sources and methodologies.