2026 Best Value Architectural Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Architectural Engineering](/majors/engineering/architectural-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong architectural engineering education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value architectural engineering schools.
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2026 Best Value Architectural Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in architectural engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Architectural Engineering Schools
For return on investment in architectural engineering, no school beat Illinois Institute Of Technology this year. 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 architectural engineering graduates is $26,774. Architectural Engineering graduates of Illinois Institute Of Technology earn a median of $71,315 early in their careers. Set against $26,774 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Illinois Institute Of Technology admits about 55% of applicants.
University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in architectural engineering, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Cincinnati, University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,363, with out-of-state students paying around $28,697. Typical student debt for architectural engineering graduates is $25,880. Early-career architectural engineering graduates make about $72,691. That is a strong return on a $25,880 median debt. University Of Cincinnati Main Campus admits about 85% of applicants.
Milwaukee School Of Engineering is a great value for students pursuing a degree in architectural engineering, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Milwaukee, Milwaukee School Of Engineering is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $50,480. Typical student debt for architectural engineering graduates is $27,667. Early-career architectural engineering graduates make about $72,677. That is a strong return on a $27,667 median debt. The acceptance rate is 59%.
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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 · 5 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.
