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.
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2023 Best Value Civil Engineering Schools in the United States
Check out the civil eng programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.
Top 25 Best Schools for Affordable Quality in Civil Engineering
Our 2023 rankings named Brigham Young University - Idaho the best value school in the United States for civil engineering students. BYU - I is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Rexburg.
BYU - I undergraduate students pay an average of $4,416 in tuition and fees each year.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at Brigham Young University - Idaho
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Brigham Young University - Provo is a great value for civil engineering students. BYU is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the 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.
In addition to its great value ranking, BYU is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Civil Engineering Schools list.
Out of the 252 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez landed the # 3 spot on the list. UPR Mayaguez is a large public school located in the city of Mayaguez.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UPR Mayaguez are $4,840 a year. While working on their degree, civil eng majors at UPR Mayaguez accumulate an average of around $8,500 in student debt.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend West Texas A&M University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Civil Engineering Schools list. West Texas A&M University is a moderately-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.
The excellent programs at North Dakota State University - Main Campus helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best civil engineering schools in the United States. Located in the midsize city of Fargo, North Dakota State University is a public college with a fairly large student population.
North Dakota State University undergraduate students pay an average of $14,876 in tuition and fees each 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 also claimed a spot on our Best Civil Engineering Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
University of Akron Main Campus ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Civil Engineering Schools list. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Akron.
University of Akron Main Campus undergraduate students pay an average of $11,880 in tuition and fees each 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.
Full Civil Engineering at University of Akron Main Campus Report
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for civil engineering students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at SIUE are $11,496 a 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.
South Dakota State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Engineering Schools ranking. South Dakota State is a 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.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, South Dakota State also is in the top 15% of our Best Civil Engineering Schools ranking.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at South Dakota State University
University of Wisconsin - Platteville ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Civil Engineering Schools list. UW - Platteville is a moderately-sized public school located in the distant town of Platteville.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW - Platteville are $16,483 per 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.
Youngstown State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Engineering Schools ranking. Youngstown State University is a large public school located in the city of Youngstown.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Youngstown State University are $9,732 a year. The average amount in student loans that civil eng majors at Youngstown State University take out is $27,272.
Full Civil Engineering at Youngstown State University Report
University of North Dakota came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Engineering Schools ranking. UND is a fairly large public school located in the city of Grand Forks.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UND are $15,037 per year. While working on their degree, civil eng majors at UND accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
UND excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Civil Engineering Schools list.
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 city of Rapid City.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SD Mines are $16,530 per year. After completing their degree, civil eng graduates from SD Mines carry an average student debtload of $27,000.
Full Civil Engineering at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Report
San Jose State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Civil Engineering Schools list. San Jose State is a very large public school located in the large 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.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at San Jose State University
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Civil Engineering Schools list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a very large public school located in the small 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.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also claimed a spot on our Best Civil Engineering Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
With a ranking of #15, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on this year’s best value schools for civil engineering students. Located in the large suburb of Pomona, Cal Poly Pomona is a public school with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Cal Poly Pomona are $19,319 a 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
Baker College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Civil Engineering Schools list. Located in the town of Owosso, Baker College is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Baker College undergraduate students pay an average of $12,420 in tuition and fees each year.
California State University - Chico landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value civil engineering programs. Chico State is a large public school located in the medium-sized city of Chico.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Chico State are $19,744 per year. After completing their degree, civil eng graduates from Chico State carry an average student debtload of $20,500.
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 college with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Ship are $14,122 a year.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
Purdue University Northwest did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for civil engineering students. It came in at #19 on the list. Purdue Northwest is a medium-sized public school located in the large suburb of Hammond.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Purdue Northwest are $14,349 a year.
West Virginia University Institute of Technology came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Engineering Schools ranking. Located in the small city of Beckley, West Virginia University Tech is a public college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at West Virginia University Tech are $19,296 a 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
University of Minnesota - Duluth came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Engineering Schools ranking. 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.
UMN Duluth also claimed a spot on our Best Civil Engineering Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Full Civil Engineering at University of Minnesota - Duluth Report
Western Michigan University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Civil Engineering Schools list. Located in the small city of Kalamazoo, WMU is a public college with a 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.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at Western Michigan University
With a ranking of #23, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on this year’s best value schools for civil engineering students. Located in the city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Sac State are $19,272 a 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
San Diego State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for civil engineering students. It came in at #24 on the list. Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public school 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.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at San Diego State University
Lamar University landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value civil engineering programs. Lamar University is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Beaumont.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Lamar University are $18,482 per year.
Rest of the Top Best Value Civil Engineering Schools
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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