by our College Data Analytics Team
[Civil Engineering Technology](/majors/engineering-technologies/civil-engineering-technology/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for civil engineering technology students.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the civil engineering technology degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in civil engineering technology, no school beat South Central College this year. South Central College is a mid-sized public school located in the suburb of North Mankato. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,146. Typical student debt for civil engineering technology graduates is $13,268. Early-career civil engineering technology graduates make about $55,224. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at St Cloud Technical And Community College earned it the #2 place for civil engineering technology. Located in the city of Saint Cloud, St Cloud Technical And Community College is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $6,124. Civil Engineering Technology graduates carry a median of $16,734 in student loans. Civil Engineering Technology graduates of St Cloud Technical And Community College earn a median of $48,652 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Hawkeye Community College came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value civil engineering technology schools. Located in the rural area of Waterloo, Hawkeye Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,525, compared with $6,612 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $17,001 to complete the civil engineering technology program here. Civil Engineering Technology 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.
Des Moines Area Community College came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value civil engineering technology schools. Des Moines Area Community College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Ankeny. Students from in state pay about $5,790 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $6,690. Civil Engineering Technology graduates carry a median of $14,956 in student loans. Early-career civil engineering technology graduates make about $43,121. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in civil engineering technology will find it at Northwest Kansas Technical College, which ranked #5. Northwest Kansas Technical College is a small public school located in the town of Goodland. Early-career civil engineering technology graduates make about $41,638.
Linn State Technical College came in at #6 for value in civil engineering technology this year. Linn State Technical College is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Linn. Students from in state pay about $8,160 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $14,610. Typical student debt for civil engineering technology graduates is $11,042. Early-career civil engineering technology graduates make about $45,538. That is a strong return on a $11,042 median debt.
Southeast Technical Institute earned the #7 position for value in civil engineering technology this year. Set in the city of Sioux Falls, Southeast Technical Institute is a mid-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $7,650. Civil Engineering Technology graduates carry a median of $18,442 in student loans. Early-career civil engineering technology graduates make about $48,654. That is a strong return on a $18,442 median debt.
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.