2027 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in Wisconsin

[General Civil Engineering](/majors/engineering/civil-engineering/general-civil-engineering/) 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 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for general civil engineering students.
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2027 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in Wisconsin
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general civil engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools
For return on investment in general civil engineering, no school beat University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee this year. University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee is a very large public school located in the city of Milwaukee. Students from in state pay about $10,398 in tuition and fees, compared with $22,398 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general civil engineering graduates is $28,000. Early-career general civil engineering graduates make about $64,317. Set against $28,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Wisconsin Platteville one of the best values for general civil engineering. Set in the town of Platteville, University Of Wisconsin Platteville is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,644, compared with $17,603 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,522 to complete the general civil engineering program here. General Civil Engineering graduates of University Of Wisconsin Platteville earn a median of $69,582 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Wisconsin Madison came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value general civil engineering schools. Set in the city of Madison, University Of Wisconsin Madison is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,603, compared with $42,103 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,250 to complete the general civil engineering program here. Soon after graduation, general civil engineering degree recipients from University Of Wisconsin Madison generally make around $78,253. That is a strong return on a $23,250 median debt. University Of Wisconsin Madison admits about 45% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in general civil engineering will find it at Milwaukee School Of Engineering, which ranked #4. Milwaukee School Of Engineering is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Milwaukee. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $50,480. General Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $27,667 in student loans. General Civil Engineering graduates of Milwaukee School Of Engineering earn a median of $72,940 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,667 median debt. Milwaukee School Of Engineering admits about 59% of applicants.
Marquette University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general civil engineering, landing the #5 spot this year. Marquette University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Milwaukee. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $51,170. Typical student debt for general civil engineering graduates is $27,000. Early-career general civil engineering graduates make about $68,386. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.
More General Civil Engineering Rankings
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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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.