2027 Best Value Industrial & Management Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region
[Industrial & Management Engineering](/majors/engineering-technologies/engineering-related-fields/industrial-management-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong industrial & management engineering education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 14 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for industrial & management engineering students.
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2027 Best Value Industrial & Management Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in industrial & management engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Industrial & Management Engineering Schools
Lamar University earned the #1 spot for value among industrial & management engineering schools in the Southwest Region. Set in the city of Beaumont, Lamar University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,905, with out-of-state students paying around $18,745. Industrial & Management Engineering graduates carry a median of $26,988 in student loans. Industrial & Management Engineering graduates of Lamar University earn a median of $52,678 early in their careers. Set against $26,988 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Lamar University admits about 86% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in industrial & management engineering will find it at The University Of Texas Pan American, which ranked #2. The University Of Texas Pan American is a very large public school located in the city of Edinburg. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,799, with out-of-state students paying around $19,645. Students borrow a median of $14,694 to complete the industrial & management engineering program here. Early-career industrial & management engineering graduates make about $46,404. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 94%.
Rice University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in industrial & management engineering, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Houston, Rice University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $61,247. Industrial & Management Engineering graduates carry a median of $11,904 in student loans. Soon after graduation, industrial & management engineering degree recipients from Rice University generally make around $75,299. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 8% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at The University Of Texas At Arlington earned it the #4 place for industrial & management engineering. The University Of Texas At Arlington is a very large public school located in the city of Arlington. Students from in state pay about $11,950 in tuition and fees, compared with $29,582 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for industrial & management engineering graduates is $21,632. Early-career industrial & management engineering graduates make about $55,304. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 80%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Houston earned it the #5 place for industrial & management engineering. Set in the city of Houston, University Of Houston is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,717, while out-of-state students pay about $22,547. Industrial & Management Engineering graduates carry a median of $21,255 in student loans. Early-career industrial & management engineering graduates make about $57,529. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Houston admits about 74% of applicants.
The University Of Texas At Tyler placed #6 among the best values for industrial & management engineering. Set in the city of Tyler, The University Of Texas At Tyler is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,512 in tuition and fees, compared with $24,512 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,959 to complete the industrial & management engineering program here. Soon after graduation, industrial & management engineering degree recipients from The University Of Texas At Tyler generally make around $75,371. That is a strong return on a $20,959 median debt. The acceptance rate is 94%.
Arizona State University placed #7 among the best values for industrial & management engineering. Set in the city of Tempe, Arizona State University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,223, compared with $33,139 for out-of-state students. Industrial & Management Engineering graduates carry a median of $31,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, industrial & management engineering degree recipients from Arizona State University generally make around $76,149. That is a strong return on a $31,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 90%.
University Of Houston Clear Lake placed #8 among the best values for industrial & management engineering. Located in the city of Houston, University Of Houston Clear Lake is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $8,346, compared with $22,290 for out-of-state students. Industrial & Management Engineering graduates carry a median of $21,100 in student loans. Early-career industrial & management engineering graduates make about $51,252. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
University Of North Texas ranked #9 on our 2027 list of the best value industrial & management engineering schools. Located in the city of Denton, University Of North Texas is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,309, compared with $21,149 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for industrial & management engineering graduates is $21,817. Early-career industrial & management engineering graduates make about $49,157. Set against $21,817 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 72%.
University Of Arizona ranked #10 on our 2027 list of the best value industrial & management engineering schools. Located in the city of Tucson, University Of Arizona is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,573, with out-of-state students paying around $39,903. Students borrow a median of $24,777 to complete the industrial & management engineering program here. Early-career industrial & management engineering graduates make about $75,109. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Texas State University San Marcos earned the #11 position for value in industrial & management engineering this year. Located in the city of San Marcos, Texas State University San Marcos is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,450, while out-of-state students pay about $22,930. Typical student debt for industrial & management engineering graduates is $23,659. Soon after graduation, industrial & management engineering degree recipients from Texas State University San Marcos generally make around $47,456. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Texas State University San Marcos admits about 89% of applicants.
The University Of Texas At Austin placed #12 among the best values for industrial & management engineering. Located in the city of Austin, The University Of Texas At Austin is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,688, while out-of-state students pay about $44,908. Industrial & Management Engineering graduates carry a median of $21,275 in student loans. Early-career industrial & management engineering graduates make about $57,819. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 27%.
Texas A And M University College Station ranked #13 on our 2027 list of the best value industrial & management engineering schools. Set in the city of College Station, Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $12,995, while out-of-state students pay about $40,124. Industrial & Management Engineering graduates carry a median of $20,031 in student loans. Early-career industrial & management engineering graduates make about $120,911. That is a strong return on a $20,031 median debt. Roughly 57% of applicants are accepted.
Southern Methodist University landed the #14 spot for industrial & management engineering value this year. Southern Methodist University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Dallas. Students from in state pay about $67,040 in tuition and fees. Industrial & Management Engineering graduates carry a median of $20,712 in student loans. Industrial & Management Engineering graduates of Southern Methodist University earn a median of $111,319 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Southern Methodist University admits about 63% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 14 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 14 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.
