[College research](/) / [Rankings](/rankings/)

# Best General Engineering Technology Programs in the Midwest

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Engineering Technology Colleges in the Midwest](/rankings/best-engineering-technology-colleges-in-the-midwest/)

Regional list from [Best General Engineering Technology Programs](/rankings/best-general-engineering-technology-programs/)

This page ranks the 11 General Engineering Technology programs in the Midwest by median earnings of General Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing, highest first. [Bemidji State University](/school/bemidji-state-university/majors/) leads the list with median earnings of $90,868 for its graduates four years after completing.

Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $90,868 to $62,012, with a median of $75,922. The spread between the top two programs is $9,314.

The list is overwhelmingly public: 10 of the 11 schools are public, and the lone private institution is 1. Western Illinois University reports the lowest average net price on the page, at $12,937.

Purdue University-Main Campus ranks 87th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, the strongest showing on this list.

## The ranked list

11 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Bemidji State University · Bemidji, MN | $90,868 | $15,261 | $10,073 | 56.0% |
|  | [Bemidji State University](/school/bemidji-state-university/majors/) ranks 1st on this list, with [median earnings of $90,868](/school/bemidji-state-university/outcomes/) for its General Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing. |
| 2 | Northern Illinois University · Dekalb, IL | $81,554 | $13,391 | $10,126 | 69.8% |
|  | [Northern Illinois University](/school/northern-illinois-university/majors/) reports an [average net price of $13,391](/school/northern-illinois-university/cost/) and median earnings of $81,554 for its General Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing. |
| 3 | Illinois State University · Normal, IL | $80,530 | $19,398 | $11,568 | 88.2% |
|  | [Illinois State University](/school/illinois-state-university/majors/) [admits 88% of applicants](/school/illinois-state-university/admissions/), and its General Engineering Technology graduates posted median earnings of $80,530 four years after completing. |
| 4 | Wichita State University · Wichita, KS | $77,103 | $13,194 | $9,734 | 94.0% |
|  | [Wichita State University](/school/wichita-state-university/majors/)'s General Engineering Technology completers who borrowed left with a [median of $22,154](/school/wichita-state-university/outcomes/) in federal loans, alongside median earnings of $77,103 four years after completing. |
| 5 | University of Wisconsin-Stout · Menomonie, WI | $76,784 | $17,490 | $10,966 | 87.7% |
|  | [University of Wisconsin-Stout](/school/university-of-wisconsin-stout/majors/) [ranks 517th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/university-of-wisconsin-stout/) among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its General Engineering Technology graduates earned a median of $76,784 four years after completing. |
| 6 | Western Illinois University · Macomb, IL | $75,922 | $12,937 | $6,941 | 71.2% |
|  | [Western Illinois University](/school/western-illinois-university/majors/) carries an [average net price of $12,937,](/school/western-illinois-university/cost/) the lowest on this list, and its General Engineering Technology graduates earned a median of $75,922 four years after completing. |
| 7 | University of Central Missouri · Warrensburg, MO | $75,375 | $14,462 | $10,965 | 63.8% |
|  | [University of Central Missouri](/school/university-of-central-missouri/majors/)'s General Engineering Technology graduates earned a [median of $75,375](/school/university-of-central-missouri/outcomes/) four years after completing, and the school reports an average net price of $10,965 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 8 | Lawrence Technological University · Southfield, MI | $73,949 | $32,918 | $25,980 | 55.9% |
|  | [Lawrence Technological University](/school/lawrence-technological-university/majors/), a private nonprofit university in Southfield, reports [median earnings of $73,949](/school/lawrence-technological-university/outcomes/) for its General Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing. |
| 9 | Kansas State University · Manhattan, KS | $72,544 | $19,406 | $13,178 | 81.7% |
|  | [Kansas State University](/school/kansas-state-university/majors/)'s General Engineering Technology completers who borrowed left with a [median of $21,950](/school/kansas-state-university/outcomes/) in federal loans, and the program's graduates earned a median of $72,544 four years after completing. |
| 10 | Southeast Missouri State University · Cape Girardeau, MO | $62,781 | $15,882 | $12,704 | 73.5% |
|  | [Southeast Missouri State University](/school/southeast-missouri-state-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $62,781](/school/southeast-missouri-state-university/outcomes/) for its General Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $15,882. |
| 11 | Purdue University-Main Campus · West Lafayette, IN | $62,012 | $14,600 | $5,098 | 49.9% |
|  | [Purdue University-Main Campus](/school/purdue-university-main-campus/majors/) [ranks 87th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/purdue-university-main-campus/) among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its General Engineering Technology graduates earned a median of $62,012 four years after completing. |

## How this list is ordered

Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their General Engineering Technology graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the Midwest appear. The figure is the median earnings of federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 2 of the 11 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. Bemidji State University reports $90,868, which is $9,314 ahead of second-ranked Northern Illinois University at $81,554. Across the list, the spread from Bemidji State University to the lowest figure is $28,856.

## Job market context in the Midwest

Graduates of General Engineering Technology programs in the Midwest enter a labor market that links to occupations such as Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians, and Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians. The median annual wage across those occupations is $68,734, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $56,888. Projections for 2024 to 2034 show about 1,203 openings a year for every hundred graduates, with more projected openings than graduates. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 0.8% higher. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing, which is a different measure from the broad occupational wages described here.

## Related rankings

-   [Best Colleges in the Midwest](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-midwest/)
-   [Best Engineering Technology Colleges in the Midwest](/rankings/best-engineering-technology-colleges-in-the-midwest/)
-   [Best Engineering Technology Colleges for Social Mobility in the Midwest](/rankings/best-engineering-technology-colleges-for-social-mobility-in-the-midwest/)