2026 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in Iowa
[General Civil Engineering](/majors/engineering/civil-engineering/general-civil-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 3 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value general civil engineering schools.
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2026 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in Iowa
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general civil engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools
Our analysis ranked Iowa State University the best value for a degree in general civil engineering in Iowa. Iowa State University is a very large public school located in the city of Ames. Students from in state pay about $10,787 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $28,881. Typical student debt for general civil engineering graduates is $25,250. Early-career general civil engineering graduates make about $76,006. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Iowa one of the best values for general civil engineering. University Of Iowa is a very large public school located in the city of Iowa City. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,283, compared with $33,371 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the general civil engineering program here. Soon after graduation, general civil engineering degree recipients from University Of Iowa generally make around $70,313. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. University Of Iowa admits about 84% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes Dordt College one of the best values for general civil engineering. Located in the town of Sioux Center, Dordt College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $37,050. Students borrow a median of $21,812 to complete the general civil engineering program here. Soon after graduation, general civil engineering degree recipients from Dordt College generally make around $54,926. That is a strong return on a $21,812 median debt. The acceptance rate is 68%.
More General Civil Engineering Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
