[Engineering-Related Fields](/majors/engineering-technologies/engineering-related-fields/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for engineering-related fields students.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the engineering-related fields degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in engineering-related fields, no school beat Washington State University this year. Washington State University is a very large public school located in the town of Pullman. In-state tuition and fees average $13,391, while out-of-state students pay about $29,950. Students borrow a median of $21,903 to complete the engineering-related fields program here. Early-career engineering-related fields graduates make about $127,541. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Gonzaga University earned it the #2 place for engineering-related fields. Set in the city of Spokane, Gonzaga University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $55,480 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $25,188 to complete the engineering-related fields program here. Soon after graduation, engineering-related fields degree recipients from Gonzaga University generally make around $58,733. That is a strong return on a $25,188 median debt. The acceptance rate is 82%.
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 · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
