by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 16 schools in the Great Lakes Region to determine which ones were the best for engineering students pursuing a doctor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 2,083 doctor's degrees in engineering to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Your choice of engineering for getting your doctor's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality engineering program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To account for this we consider a college's overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their doctor's degree from the school. After all, your doctor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for engineering students working on their doctor's degree.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Engineering Doctor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a doctor's degree in engineering.
Northwestern University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in engineering. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in engineering from Northwestern University
It is difficult to beat University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign if you wish to pursue a doctor's degree in engineering. UIUC is a very large public university located in the small city of Champaign.More information about a doctorate in engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Any student who is interested in a doctor's degree in engineering needs to check out University of Notre Dame. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Notre Dame.More information about a doctorate in engineering from University of Notre Dame
It is difficult to beat Purdue University - Main Campus if you want to pursue a doctor's degree in engineering. Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in engineering from Purdue University - Main Campus
Located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in engineering from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Located in the large city of Cleveland, Case Western is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a doctorate in engineering from Case Western Reserve University
Michigan Tech is a moderately-sized public university located in the remote town of Houghton.More information about a doctorate in engineering from Michigan Technological University
Michigan State is a very large public university located in the small city of East Lansing.More information about a doctorate in engineering from Michigan State University
Located in the city of Dayton, UDayton is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in engineering from University of Dayton
Located in the large city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in engineering from Ohio State University - Main Campus
Explore the best engineering schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | 392 |
| Electrical Engineering | 355 |
| Chemical Engineering | 212 |
| Biomedical Engineering | 180 |
| Civil Engineering | 180 |
| Materials Engineering | 175 |
| Computer Engineering | 91 |
| Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering | 89 |
| Industrial Engineering | 72 |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering. | 57 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Biological & Biomedical Sciences | 1,251 |
| Physical Sciences | 1,059 |
| Agriculture & Agriculture Operations | 720 |
| Mathematics & Statistics | 396 |
| Natural Resources & Conservation | 89 |
| Engineering Technologies | 55 |
| Architecture & Related Services | 22 |
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