<p>^ Case Western meets on average 87% of financial need, though they do give out some big merit scholarships. More telling, perhaps, is that the average debt of 2009 Case Western grads was $37,496—by far the highest among top-50 universities—and 63% of the graduates had borrowed.</p>
<p>Rose-Hulman meets full need for only 19% of its students, with an average of 88% of need met. Average indebtedness of its graduating class was $35,261, and 73% of its grads had borrowed.</p>
<p>Given these stats, I don’t think you can count on either of these schools as a financial safety, though it may be worth applying to see what kind of offer they make you. Both are fine engineering schools.</p>