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# Best Manufacturing Engineering Programs in the Midwest

Updated September 30, 2026

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

Regional list from [Best Manufacturing Engineering Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-manufacturing-engineering-programs/)

This page ranks the 7 Manufacturing Engineering programs in the Midwest by the median earnings of Manufacturing Engineering graduates four years after completing. [Northwestern University](/school/northwestern-university/majors/) ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $97,819 for its graduates four years after completing.

Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $97,819 to $65,387, with a median of $87,431. For 2 of the 7 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.

5 of the schools are public and 2 are private nonprofit. Northwestern University ranks 85th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and Ferris State University posts the lowest average net price on the page at $8,624.

North Dakota State University-Main Campus has the highest admission rate, admitting 95% of applicants.

## The ranked list

7 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Northwestern University · Evanston, IL | $97,819 | $29,167 | $1,764 | 7.7% |
|  | [Northwestern University](/school/northwestern-university/majors/) ranks 1st on this list, with [median earnings of $97,819](/school/northwestern-university/outcomes/) for its Manufacturing Engineering graduates four years after completing, and an admission rate of 8%. |
| 2 | Grand Valley State University · Allendale, MI | $95,416 | $16,317 | $12,272 | 83.0% |
|  | [Grand Valley State University](/school/grand-valley-state-university/majors/), a public university in Allendale, posts [median earnings of $95,416](/school/grand-valley-state-university/outcomes/) for its Manufacturing Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $16,317. |
| 3 | Bradley University · Peoria, IL | $88,690 | $22,719 | $17,269 | 76.8% |
|  | [Bradley University](/school/bradley-university/majors/) reports [median federal debt of $27,000](/school/bradley-university/cost/) among Manufacturing Engineering completers who borrowed, and its graduates four years after completing earn a median of $88,690. |
| 4 | University of Wisconsin-Stout · Menomonie, WI | $87,431 | $17,490 | $10,966 | 87.7% |
|  | [University of Wisconsin-Stout](/school/university-of-wisconsin-stout/majors/) [admits 88% of applicants](/school/university-of-wisconsin-stout/admissions/) and shows median earnings of $87,431 for its Manufacturing Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 5 | Ferris State University · Big Rapids, MI | $80,996 | $8,624 | $2,556 | 91.4% |
|  | [Ferris State University](/school/ferris-state-university/majors/) carries an [average net price of $8,624](/school/ferris-state-university/cost/) and reports median earnings of $80,996 for its Manufacturing Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 6 | North Dakota State University-Main Campus · Fargo, ND | $67,660 | $15,543 | $9,370 | 95.0% |
|  | [North Dakota State University-Main Campus](/school/north-dakota-state-university-main-campus/majors/) ranks 6th on this list, with [median earnings of $67,660](/school/north-dakota-state-university-main-campus/outcomes/) for its Manufacturing Engineering graduates four years after completing, and an admission rate of 95%. |
| 7 | Saint Cloud State University · Saint Cloud, MN | $65,387 | $13,529 | $8,909 | 94.8% |
|  | [Saint Cloud State University](/school/saint-cloud-state-university/majors/) posts [median earnings of $65,387](/school/saint-cloud-state-university/outcomes/) for its Manufacturing Engineering graduates four years after completing, and an average net price of $8,909 for families earning under $30,000. |

## How this list is ordered

Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Manufacturing Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the Midwest appear. The figures cover federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled. For 2 of the 7 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. The gap between Northwestern University and Grand Valley State University is $2,403, while the spread from the top to the bottom of the list reaches $32,432.

## Job market context in the Midwest

Graduates of Manufacturing Engineering programs in the Midwest enter a labor market that links to occupations such as Industrial Engineers, Cost Estimators, and related roles. The median annual wage across those occupations is $93,258, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $75,412. Projections for 2024 to 2034 show about 15,490 openings a year, or about 9,166 openings a year for every hundred graduates, with more projected openings than graduates. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 5.0% higher. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses the median earnings of Manufacturing Engineering graduates four years after completing, which is a different measure from the occupational wage figures described here.

## Related rankings

-   [Best Manufacturing Engineering Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-manufacturing-engineering-programs/)
-   [Best Colleges in the Midwest](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-midwest/)
-   Manufacturing Engineering Programs in the West
-   [Best Engineering Colleges in the Midwest](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges-in-the-midwest/)