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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Manufacturing Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region

7 Colleges in the United States
126 Manufacturing Engineering Degrees Awarded
$71,174 Avg Early-Career Salary

Manufacturing Engineering degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

College Factual analyzed 22 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best manufacturing engineering schools.

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Best Schools for Manufacturing Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall manufacturing engineering education in the Great Lakes Region.

Top Schools in Manufacturing Engineering

1

Leading the list is Northwestern University, our #1 school for manufacturing engineering. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 95%. Northwestern University awarded about 16 manufacturing engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, manufacturing engineering degree recipients from Northwestern University generally make around $78,551. Typical student debt for the program is $16,616. Read more about the manufacturing engineering program at Northwestern University

2

A rank of #2 makes University Of Michigan Ann Arbor one of the top schools for manufacturing engineering. Located in the city of Ann Arbor, University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public university. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor graduates 93% of students within six years. There were roughly 15 manufacturing engineering students who graduated with this degree at University Of Michigan Ann Arbor in the most recent data year. Manufacturing Engineering graduates of University Of Michigan Ann Arbor earn a median of $66,254 early in their careers. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor graduates carry a median of $19,137 in student loans. Get the full manufacturing engineering details for University Of Michigan Ann Arbor

3

A rank of #3 makes University Of Michigan Dearborn one of the top schools for manufacturing engineering. Located in the city of Dearborn, University Of Michigan Dearborn is a moderately-sized public university. University Of Michigan Dearborn graduates 58% of students within six years. There were roughly 15 manufacturing engineering students who graduated with this degree at University Of Michigan Dearborn in the most recent data year. Manufacturing Engineering graduates of University Of Michigan Dearborn earn a median of $62,536 early in their careers. University Of Michigan Dearborn graduates carry a median of $26,516 in student loans. Get the full manufacturing engineering details for University Of Michigan Dearborn

4
Ferris State University crest
Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI

A rank of #4 makes Ferris State University one of the top schools for manufacturing engineering. Ferris State University is a large public school located in the town of Big Rapids. The six-year graduation rate is 56%. About 27 manufacturing engineering degrees were awarded at Ferris State University in the most recent year. Students who receive their manufacturing engineering degree from Ferris State University earn around $68,715 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $18,500 to complete this degree. Read more about the manufacturing engineering program at Ferris State University

5

Bradley University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in manufacturing engineering, ranking #5. This moderately-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Peoria. Roughly 76% of students complete a degree within six years here. Bradley University awarded about 24 manufacturing engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the manufacturing engineering program make about $67,488 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete this degree. Get the full manufacturing engineering details for Bradley University

6

University Of Wisconsin Stout came in at #6 for manufacturing engineering this year. University Of Wisconsin Stout is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Menomonie. About 55% of students finish within six years. About 29 manufacturing engineering degrees were awarded at University Of Wisconsin Stout in the most recent year. Manufacturing Engineering graduates of University Of Wisconsin Stout earn a median of $83,497 early in their careers. University Of Wisconsin Stout graduates carry a median of $29,814 in student loans. More information about a degree in manufacturing engineering from University Of Wisconsin Stout

Narrow Manufacturing Engineering Schools by State

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View All Manufacturing Engineering Rankings >

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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 · 22 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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