2026 Best Value Civil Engineering Technology/Technician Schools in the The Plains States Region
[Civil Engineering Technology/Technician](/majors/engineering-technologies/civil-engineering-technology/civil-engineering-technology-technician/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 16 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for civil engineering technology/technician students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Civil Engineering Technology/Technician Schools in the The Plains States Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in civil engineering technology/technician, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Civil Engineering Technology/Technician Schools
Leading the list is Hawkeye Community College, our #1 best value for civil engineering technology/technician in the The Plains States Region. Set in the rural area of Waterloo, Hawkeye Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,525, with out-of-state students paying around $6,612. Students borrow a median of $17,001 to complete the civil engineering technology/technician program here. Civil Engineering Technology/technician graduates of Hawkeye Community College earn a median of $41,902 early in their careers. Set against $17,001 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at South Central College earned it the #2 place for civil engineering technology/technician. Located in the suburb of North Mankato, South Central College is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $6,146 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for civil engineering technology/technician graduates is $13,268. Soon after graduation, civil engineering technology/technician degree recipients from South Central College generally make around $55,224. Set against $13,268 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
St Cloud Technical And Community College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value civil engineering technology/technician schools. St Cloud Technical And Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Saint Cloud. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,124. Typical student debt for civil engineering technology/technician graduates is $16,734. Soon after graduation, civil engineering technology/technician degree recipients from St Cloud Technical And Community College generally make around $48,652. That is a strong return on a $16,734 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Linn State Technical College earned it the #4 place for civil engineering technology/technician. Set in the rural area of Linn, Linn State Technical College is a mid-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,160, while out-of-state students pay about $14,610. Students borrow a median of $11,042 to complete the civil engineering technology/technician program here. Civil Engineering Technology/technician graduates of Linn State Technical College earn a median of $45,538 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $11,042 median debt.
Southeast Technical Institute came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value civil engineering technology/technician schools. Southeast Technical Institute is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Sioux Falls. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,650. Students borrow a median of $18,442 to complete the civil engineering technology/technician program here. Early-career civil engineering technology/technician graduates make about $48,654. That is a strong return on a $18,442 median debt.
Narrow Civil Engineering Technology/Technician Schools by State
More Civil Engineering Technology/Technician Rankings
View All Civil Engineering Technology/Technician Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 16 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
