[Engineering-Related Fields](/majors/engineering-technologies/engineering-related-fields/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 9 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for engineering-related fields students.
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 Saint Cloud State University this year. Set in the city of Saint Cloud, Saint Cloud State University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $10,245. Engineering-Related Fields graduates carry a median of $25,076 in student loans. Engineering-Related Fields graduates of Saint Cloud State University earn a median of $51,625 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,076 median debt. Saint Cloud State University admits about 95% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Minnesota Twin Cities one of the best values for engineering-related fields. Set in the city of Minneapolis, University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $17,214, while out-of-state students pay about $38,362. Students borrow a median of $21,577 to complete the engineering-related fields program here. Soon after graduation, engineering-related fields degree recipients from University Of Minnesota Twin Cities generally make around $56,395. Set against $21,577 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 9 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.
