2027 Best Value Engineering Design Schools
[Engineering Design](/majors/engineering-technologies/engineering-related-fields/engineering-design/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong engineering design education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools to find the best return on investment for engineering design students.
What’s on this page:
Finding the Best Value Engineering Design School for You
The right engineering design school can pay off for years to come. That is why we built our Best Value Engineering Design Schools ranking. It weighs the cost of a degree against the outcomes graduates go on to achieve, so you can find the strongest return on your investment.
Learn more about our methodology
Customizing Your List
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we offer several rankings, including this Best Value Engineering Design Schools list, to help you choose. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
Want to compare schools head to head? Try our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
Read more about College Factual’s methodology
2027 Best Value Engineering Design Schools in the United States
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in engineering design, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Engineering Design Schools
Saint Cloud State University earned the #1 spot for value among engineering design schools in the United States. Saint Cloud State University is a large public school located in the city of Saint Cloud. In-state tuition and fees average $10,245. Students borrow a median of $25,076 to complete the engineering design program here. Engineering Design graduates of Saint Cloud State University earn a median of $51,625 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Saint Cloud State University admits about 95% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in engineering design will find it at Arizona State University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Tempe, Arizona State University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $12,223, while out-of-state students pay about $33,139. Students borrow a median of $31,000 to complete the engineering design program here. Engineering Design graduates of Arizona State University earn a median of $76,149 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in engineering design will find it at University Of Wisconsin Platteville, which ranked #3. University Of Wisconsin Platteville is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Platteville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,644, with out-of-state students paying around $17,603. Engineering Design graduates carry a median of $23,677 in student loans. Early-career engineering design graduates make about $56,998. That is a strong return on a $23,677 median debt. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #4 makes Harvard University one of the best values for engineering design. Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $61,676 in tuition and fees. Engineering Design graduates carry a median of $16,616 in student loans. Early-career engineering design graduates make about $95,207. That is a strong return on a $16,616 median debt. Harvard University admits about 4% of applicants.
A rank of #5 makes University Of Pennsylvania one of the best values for engineering design. Located in the city of Philadelphia, University Of Pennsylvania is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $68,686 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for engineering design graduates is $16,155. Soon after graduation, engineering design degree recipients from University Of Pennsylvania generally make around $99,682. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 5%.
Northwestern University came in at #6 for value in engineering design this year. Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston. In-state tuition and fees average $68,322. Students borrow a median of $16,616 to complete the engineering design program here. Engineering Design graduates of Northwestern University earn a median of $144,879 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 8% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Dayton came in at #7 for value in engineering design this year. Located in the city of Dayton, University Of Dayton is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $49,140 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for engineering design graduates is $25,033. Early-career engineering design graduates make about $56,077. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 65%.
Duke University ranked #8 on our 2027 list of the best value engineering design schools. Located in the city of Durham, Duke University is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,758. Typical student debt for engineering design graduates is $13,296. Early-career engineering design graduates make about $110,977. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Duke University admits about 6% of applicants.
Carnegie Mellon University came in at #9 for value in engineering design this year. Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $65,636. Typical student debt for engineering design graduates is $23,529. Early-career engineering design graduates make about $89,327. That is a strong return on a $23,529 median debt. The acceptance rate is 12%.
Florida Institute Of Technology landed the #10 spot for engineering design value this year. Set in the city of Melbourne, Florida Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $45,900 in tuition and fees. Engineering Design graduates carry a median of $32,114 in student loans. Early-career engineering design graduates make about $86,857. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Florida Institute Of Technology admits about 58% of applicants.
Narrow Engineering Design Schools by Region
View All Rankings >
Engineering Design is one of many programs to choose from within the area of study. See all related rankings.
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 10 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.
