2023 Best Value Civil Engineering Schools
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Civil Engineering School for You
Civil Engineering is the #50 most popular major in the country with 21,388 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Civil Engineering Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 252 schools in the United States to see which programs offered the best value experiences for civil eng students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 25 Best Schools for Affordable Quality in Civil Engineering
Our analysis found Brigham Young University - Idaho to be the best value school for civil engineering students who want to pursue a degree in the United States. BYU - I is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the town of Rexburg.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at BYU - I are $4,416 a year.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Provo. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Civil Engineering Schools list. BYU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Provo.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at BYU are $6,120 a year. On average, civil eng graduates from BYU take out $8,500 in student loans while working on their degree.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, BYU also is in the top 20% of our Best Civil Engineering Schools ranking.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez is a great value for civil engineering students. UPR Mayaguez is a large public school located in the city of Mayaguez.
UPR Mayaguez undergraduate students pay an average of $4,840 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, civil eng majors at UPR Mayaguez accumulate an average of around $8,500 in student debt.
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The excellent programs at West Texas A&M University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best civil engineering schools in the United States. West Texas A&M University is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Canyon.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at West Texas A&M University are $11,208 per year.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Civil Engineering Schools list. Located in the midsize city of Fargo, North Dakota State University is a public college with a large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at North Dakota State University are $14,876 per year. While working on their degree, civil eng majors at North Dakota State University accumulate an average of around $23,600 in student debt.
North Dakota State University excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Civil Engineering Schools list.
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With a ranking of #6, University of Akron Main Campus did quite well on this year’s best value schools for civil engineering students. University of Akron Main Campus is a large public school located in the midsize city of Akron.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at University of Akron Main Campus are $11,880 per year. Civil Eng majors at University of Akron Main Campus take out an average of $22,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value civil engineering programs. Located in the suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public college with a fairly large student population.
SIUE undergraduate students pay an average of $11,496 in tuition and fees each year. Civil Eng majors at SIUE take out an average of $25,375 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $309.
Full Civil Engineering at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Report
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South Dakota State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Civil Engineering Schools list. South Dakota State is a fairly large public school located in the town of Brookings.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at South Dakota State are $12,809 per year. The average amount in student loans that civil eng majors at South Dakota State take out is $27,000.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, South Dakota State also did well on our Best Civil Engineering Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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With a ranking of #9, University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well on this year’s best value schools for civil engineering students. UW - Platteville is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Platteville.
UW - Platteville undergraduate students pay an average of $16,483 in tuition and fees each year. Civil Eng majors at UW - Platteville take out an average of $26,750 in student loans while working on their egree.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW - Platteville also is in the top 10% of our Best Civil Engineering Schools ranking.
Full Civil Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Platteville Report
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With a ranking of #10, Youngstown State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for civil engineering students. Youngstown State University is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Youngstown.
Youngstown State University undergraduate students pay an average of $9,732 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that civil eng majors at Youngstown State University take out is $27,272.
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University of North Dakota landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value civil engineering programs. UND is a large public school located in the small city of Grand Forks.
UND undergraduate students pay an average of $15,037 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, civil eng majors at UND accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
UND also claimed a spot on our Best Civil Engineering Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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South Dakota School of Mines and Technology came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Engineering Schools ranking. SD Mines is a small public school located in the small city of Rapid City.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at SD Mines are $16,530 a year. After completing their degree, civil eng graduates from SD Mines carry an average student debtload of $27,000.
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San Jose State University landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value civil engineering programs. San Jose State is a very large public school located in the city of San Jose.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at San Jose State are $19,732 per year.
In addition to its great value ranking, San Jose State is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Civil Engineering Schools list.
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California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value civil engineering programs. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo are $28,105 a year. After completing their degree, civil eng graduates from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo carry an average student debtload of $20,368. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $315.
In addition to its great value ranking, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Civil Engineering Schools list.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
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California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Engineering Schools ranking. Located in the large suburb of Pomona, Cal Poly Pomona is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cal Poly Pomona are $19,319 per year. On average, civil eng graduates from Cal Poly Pomona take out $17,981 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $189, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
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Baker College landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value civil engineering programs. Located in the distant town of Owosso, Baker College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Baker College are $12,420 per year.
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With a ranking of #17, California State University - Chico did quite well on this year’s best value schools for civil engineering students. Chico State is a large public school located in the midsize city of Chico.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Chico State are $19,744 a year. After completing their degree, civil eng graduates from Chico State carry an average student debtload of $20,500.
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Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for civil engineering students. It came in at #18 on the list. Located in the town of Shippensburg, Ship is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Ship undergraduate students pay an average of $14,122 in tuition and fees each year.
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Purdue University Northwest ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Civil Engineering Schools list. Purdue Northwest is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Hammond.
Purdue Northwest undergraduate students pay an average of $14,349 in tuition and fees each year.
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West Virginia University Institute of Technology did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for civil engineering students. It came in at #20 on the list. Located in the city of Beckley, West Virginia University Tech is a public college with a small student population.
West Virginia University Tech undergraduate students pay an average of $19,296 in tuition and fees each year. On average, civil eng graduates from West Virginia University Tech take out $26,000 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $341.
Full Civil Engineering at West Virginia University Institute of Technology Report
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University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for civil engineering students. It came in at #21 on the list. UMN Duluth is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Duluth.
UMN Duluth undergraduate students pay an average of $19,148 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that civil eng majors at UMN Duluth take out is $25,000.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, UMN Duluth also did well on our Best Civil Engineering Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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With a ranking of #22, Western Michigan University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for civil engineering students. Located in the city of Kalamazoo, WMU is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WMU are $16,768 per year. On average, civil eng graduates from WMU take out $29,500 in student loans while working on their degree.
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California State University - Sacramento landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value civil engineering programs. Located in the large city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Sac State are $19,272 per year. After completing their degree, civil eng graduates from Sac State carry an average student debtload of $22,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $156.
Full Civil Engineering at California State University - Sacramento Report
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San Diego State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Civil Engineering Schools list. Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public college with a very large student population.
SDSU undergraduate students pay an average of $20,016 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, civil eng majors at SDSU accumulate an average of around $19,842 in student debt.
Full Civil Engineering at San Diego State University Report
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Lamar University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for civil engineering students. It came in at #25 on the list. Lamar University is a fairly large public school located in the city of Beaumont.
Lamar University undergraduate students pay an average of $18,482 in tuition and fees each year.
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Honorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value Civil Engineering Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 39 | Tennessee Technological University | Cookeville, TN |
| 39 | North Carolina State University | Raleigh, NC |
| 41 | San Francisco State University | San Francisco, CA |
| 41 | University of Wyoming | Laramie, WY |
| 41 | Villanova University | Villanova, PA |
| 41 | Southern Illinois University Carbondale | Carbondale, IL |
| 45 | Iowa State University | Ames, IA |
| 45 | Texas Tech University | Lubbock, TX |
| 47 | University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown | Johnstown, PA |
| 48 | Ohio University - Athens Campus | Athens, OH |
| 49 | University of California - Berkeley | Berkeley, CA |
| 49 | Minnesota State University - Mankato | Mankato, MN |
| 49 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Charlotte, NC |
| 49 | Texas A&M University - College Station | College Station, TX |
Civil Engineering by Region
View the Best Value Civil Engineering Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Civil Engineering Rankings
Civil Engineering Related Majors for Civil Eng
Civil Engineering is one of 40 different types of programs to choose from.
Most Popular Majors Related to Civil Eng
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | 46,178 |
| Electrical Engineering | 28,844 |
| Computer Engineering | 17,987 |
| Chemical Engineering | 12,917 |
| Biomedical Engineering | 12,811 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Master Sgt. Roger Parsons.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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