2026 Best Value Industrial & Management Engineering Schools in Michigan

[Industrial & Management Engineering](/majors/engineering-technologies/engineering-related-fields/industrial-management-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 11 schools to find the best return on investment for industrial & management engineering students.
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2026 Best Value Industrial & Management Engineering Schools in Michigan
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the industrial & management engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Industrial & Management Engineering Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of Michigan Dearborn the best value for a degree in industrial & management engineering in Michigan. University Of Michigan Dearborn is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Dearborn. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,640, compared with $32,896 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for industrial & management engineering graduates is $26,516. Industrial & Management Engineering graduates of University Of Michigan Dearborn earn a median of $110,914 early in their careers. Set against $26,516 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Michigan Dearborn admits about 56% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes Oakland University one of the best values for industrial & management engineering. Set in the suburb of Rochester Hills, Oakland University is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,167, compared with $24,735 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for industrial & management engineering graduates is $25,972. Industrial & Management Engineering graduates of Oakland University earn a median of $112,624 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Wayne State University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value industrial & management engineering schools. Set in the city of Detroit, Wayne State University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,159, with out-of-state students paying around $34,650. Students borrow a median of $26,689 to complete the industrial & management engineering program here. Early-career industrial & management engineering graduates make about $128,271. That is a strong return on a $26,689 median debt. Wayne State University admits about 81% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Michigan Technological University earned it the #4 place for industrial & management engineering. Located in the town of Houghton, Michigan Technological University is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $20,532, compared with $44,807 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for industrial & management engineering graduates is $27,875. Soon after graduation, industrial & management engineering degree recipients from Michigan Technological University generally make around $68,919. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Michigan Technological University admits about 92% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in industrial & management engineering will find it at Central Michigan University, which ranked #5. Central Michigan University is a large public school located in the town of Mount Pleasant. In-state tuition and fees average $15,480. Industrial & Management Engineering graduates carry a median of $27,857 in student loans. Early-career industrial & management engineering graduates make about $104,028. Set against $27,857 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Eastern Michigan University came in at #6 for value in industrial & management engineering this year. Located in the suburb of Ypsilanti, Eastern Michigan University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,990. Typical student debt for industrial & management engineering graduates is $31,122. Soon after graduation, industrial & management engineering degree recipients from Eastern Michigan University generally make around $84,244. That is a strong return on a $31,122 median debt. Eastern Michigan University admits about 80% of applicants.
Western Michigan University landed the #7 spot for industrial & management engineering value this year. Set in the city of Kalamazoo, Western Michigan University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $15,987, with out-of-state students paying around $19,952. Industrial & Management Engineering graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, industrial & management engineering degree recipients from Western Michigan University generally make around $67,992. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
Kettering University landed the #8 spot for industrial & management engineering value this year. Set in the city of Flint, Kettering University is a small private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $46,425 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $28,913 to complete the industrial & management engineering program here. Soon after graduation, industrial & management engineering degree recipients from Kettering University generally make around $87,338. Set against $28,913 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 79%.
Lawrence Technological University ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best value industrial & management engineering schools. Set in the city of Southfield, Lawrence Technological University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $44,760. Typical student debt for industrial & management engineering graduates is $27,799. Industrial & Management Engineering graduates of Lawrence Technological University earn a median of $74,924 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,799 median debt. Lawrence Technological University admits about 56% of applicants.
More Industrial & Management Engineering Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 ranked 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.