2026 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in New Jersey
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 Princeton University this year. Set in the city of Princeton, Princeton University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $62,688 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general civil engineering graduates is $10,888. Soon after graduation, general civil engineering degree recipients from Princeton University generally make around $67,532. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 5%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at New Jersey Institute Of Technology earned it the #2 place for general civil engineering. Located in the city of Newark, New Jersey Institute Of Technology is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $19,974 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $37,664. Typical student debt for general civil engineering graduates is $24,085. Early-career general civil engineering graduates make about $78,994. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 65% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in general civil engineering will find it at Rowan University, which ranked #3. Located in the suburb of Glassboro, Rowan University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $16,574, compared with $26,932 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general civil engineering graduates is $23,000. Soon after graduation, general civil engineering degree recipients from Rowan University generally make around $67,362. Set against $23,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Rutgers University New Brunswick came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value general civil engineering schools. Located in the city of New Brunswick, Rutgers University New Brunswick is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $17,929 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $37,441. Students borrow a median of $26,291 to complete the general civil engineering program here. Soon after graduation, general civil engineering degree recipients from Rutgers University New Brunswick generally make around $75,500. That is a strong return on a $26,291 median debt. Roughly 58% of applicants are accepted.
The College Of New Jersey is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general civil engineering, landing the #5 spot this year. The College Of New Jersey is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Ewing. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $19,632, compared with $25,752 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $26,500 to complete the general civil engineering program here. Early-career general civil engineering graduates make about $71,649. That is a strong return on a $26,500 median debt. Roughly 62% of applicants are accepted.
Stevens Institute Of Technology ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value general civil engineering schools. Stevens Institute Of Technology is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Hoboken. In-state tuition and fees average $63,462. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the general civil engineering program here. Early-career general civil engineering graduates make about $78,378. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Stevens Institute Of Technology admits about 48% of applicants.
Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 7 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.