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2026 Best Value General Engineering Mechanics Schools in the Great Lakes Region

[General Engineering Mechanics](/majors/engineering/engineering-mechanics/general-engineering-mechanics/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general engineering mechanics education at a price that pays off.

College Factual analyzed 8 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value general engineering mechanics schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value General Engineering Mechanics Schools in the Great Lakes Region

2026 Best Value General Engineering Mechanics Schools in the Great Lakes Region

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general engineering mechanics degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value General Engineering Mechanics Schools

1

University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign
Champaign, IL

$18,267 In-State Tuition & Fees

$20,778 Avg Student Debt

$81,054 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, our #1 best value for general engineering mechanics in the Great Lakes Region. Located in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $18,267 in tuition and fees, compared with $40,096 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,778 to complete the general engineering mechanics program here. Early-career general engineering mechanics graduates make about $57,461. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign admits about 42% of applicants.

2

University Of Wisconsin Madison
Madison, WI

$11,603 In-State Tuition & Fees

$26,432 Avg Student Debt

$73,792 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes University Of Wisconsin Madison one of the best values for general engineering mechanics. Located in the city of Madison, University Of Wisconsin Madison is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,603, compared with $42,103 for out-of-state students. General Engineering Mechanics graduates carry a median of $26,432 in student loans. General Engineering Mechanics graduates of University Of Wisconsin Madison earn a median of $72,612 early in their careers. Set against $26,432 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 45%.

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Notes and References

The ranking above is published 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 · 8 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.