2026 Best Value Computer Hardware Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region

[Computer Hardware Engineering](/majors/engineering/ce-computer-engineering/computer-hardware-engineering/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong computer hardware engineering education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 2 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for computer hardware engineering students.
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2026 Best Value Computer Hardware Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the computer hardware engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Computer Hardware Engineering Schools
Our analysis ranked Oakland University the best value for a degree in computer hardware engineering in the Great Lakes Region. 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. Computer Hardware Engineering graduates carry a median of $26,125 in student loans. Early-career computer hardware engineering graduates make about $78,709. Set against $26,125 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Illinois Institute Of Technology one of the best values for computer hardware engineering. Set in the city of Chicago, Illinois Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $52,202 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $26,500 to complete the computer hardware engineering program here. Computer Hardware Engineering graduates of Illinois Institute Of Technology earn a median of $81,252 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 55%.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.