[Engineering-Related Fields](/majors/engineering-technologies/engineering-related-fields/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value engineering-related fields schools.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in engineering-related fields, balancing cost against outcomes.
For return on investment in engineering-related fields, no school beat Northern Illinois University this year. Northern Illinois University is a large public school located in the suburb of Dekalb. In-state tuition and fees average $13,060. Students borrow a median of $25,209 to complete the engineering-related fields program here. Early-career engineering-related fields graduates make about $81,686. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Northern Illinois University admits about 70% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in engineering-related fields will find it at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,267, while out-of-state students pay about $40,096. Typical student debt for engineering-related fields graduates is $20,778. Soon after graduation, engineering-related fields degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign generally make around $57,461. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Illinois Institute Of Technology came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value engineering-related fields schools. Set in the city of Chicago, Illinois Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $52,202. Typical student debt for engineering-related fields graduates is $26,774. Soon after graduation, engineering-related fields degree recipients from Illinois Institute Of Technology generally make around $72,164. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 55%.
A rank of #4 makes Northwestern University one of the best values for engineering-related fields. Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,322. Typical student debt for engineering-related fields graduates is $16,616. Engineering-Related Fields graduates of Northwestern University earn a median of $144,879 early in their careers. Set against $16,616 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Northwestern University admits about 8% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 4 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.
