ADBLOCK #102
College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region

4 Colleges in the United States
156 Engineering & Applied Physics Degrees Awarded
$59,549 Avg Early-Career Salary

Engineering & Applied Physics degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. The schools below stand out for the quality of their engineering & applied physics programs.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 32 schools to find the best for engineering & applied physics students.

What’s on this page:

ADBLOCK #159
DEBUG: Raw major_slug = ""
DEBUG: Initial offers_url = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/engineering/engineering-physics/engineering-applied-physics/offers.json", major_slug = ""
DEBUG: After cleaning major_slug = ""
DEBUG: Before URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/engineering/engineering-physics/engineering-applied-physics/offers.json"
DEBUG: After TrimSuffix = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/engineering/engineering-physics/engineering-applied-physics/offers.json"
DEBUG: After HTTPS placeholder = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/engineering/engineering-physics/engineering-applied-physics/offers.json"
DEBUG: After slash cleaning = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/engineering/engineering-physics/engineering-applied-physics/offers.json"
DEBUG: After URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/engineering/engineering-physics/engineering-applied-physics/offers.json"
DEBUG: offers_url = https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/engineering/engineering-physics/engineering-applied-physics/offers.json
DEBUG: major_slug = ""
DEBUG: offers_url is valid, proceeding to fetch data
DEBUG: No offers_data.offers found, showing generic ESYOH widget

Best Schools for Engineering & Applied Physics in the Great Lakes Region

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the engineering & applied physics degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Engineering & Applied Physics

1

University Of Michigan Ann Arbor tops our 2026 ranking of the best engineering & applied physics schools. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public school located in the city of Ann Arbor. The six-year graduation rate is 93%. About 15 engineering & applied physics degrees were awarded at University Of Michigan Ann Arbor in the most recent year. Graduates of the engineering & applied physics program make about $66,254 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $19,137. Get the full engineering & applied physics details for University Of Michigan Ann Arbor

2

University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best engineering & applied physics schools. Located in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public university. About 85% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 87 engineering & applied physics students who graduated with this degree at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign in the most recent data year. Engineering & Applied Physics graduates of University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn a median of $64,304 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $20,136. Read more about the engineering & applied physics program at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign

3

Ohio State University Main Campus is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in engineering & applied physics, ranking #3. This very large public university is located in the city of Columbus. The six-year graduation rate is 88%. There were roughly 18 engineering & applied physics students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State University Main Campus in the most recent data year. Engineering & Applied Physics graduates of Ohio State University Main Campus earn a median of $58,088 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $22,053 to complete this degree. Get the full engineering & applied physics details for Ohio State University Main Campus

4

University Of Wisconsin Platteville is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in engineering & applied physics, ranking #4. This moderately-sized public university is located in the town of Platteville. The six-year graduation rate is 61%. There were roughly 12 engineering & applied physics students who graduated with this degree at University Of Wisconsin Platteville in the most recent data year. Graduates of the engineering & applied physics program make about $68,379 in their early career. University Of Wisconsin Platteville graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Get the full engineering & applied physics details for University Of Wisconsin Platteville

5

A rank of #5 makes Augustana College Illinois one of the top schools for engineering & applied physics. This mid-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Rock Island. About 73% of students finish within six years. About 10 engineering & applied physics degrees were awarded at Augustana College Illinois in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, engineering & applied physics degree recipients from Augustana College Illinois generally make around $54,165. Typical student debt for the program is $27,000. Get the full engineering & applied physics details for Augustana College Illinois

6

Lansing Community College earned the #6 position for engineering & applied physics this year. Set in the city of Lansing, Lansing Community College is a large public institution. There were roughly 14 engineering & applied physics students who graduated with this degree at Lansing Community College in the most recent data year. Students who receive their engineering & applied physics degree from Lansing Community College earn around $46,103 in the first couple years of their career. Lansing Community College graduates carry a median of $16,700 in student loans. Read more about the engineering & applied physics program at Lansing Community College

Narrow Engineering & Applied Physics Schools by State

ADBLOCK #173
View All Engineering & Applied Physics Rankings >

ADBLOCK #115

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 32 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

ADBLOCK #116

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs
ADBLOCK #613

Compare Your School Options