2026 Best Value Civil Engineering Schools in the Far Western Region
[Civil Engineering](/majors/engineering/civil-engineering/other-civil-engineering/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for civil engineering students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Civil Engineering Schools in the Far Western Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in civil engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Civil Engineering Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of Washington Seattle Campus the best value for a degree in civil engineering in the Far Western Region. University Of Washington Seattle Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Seattle. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,973, with out-of-state students paying around $43,209. Typical student debt for civil engineering graduates is $14,874. Soon after graduation, civil engineering degree recipients from University Of Washington Seattle Campus generally make around $80,410. Set against $14,874 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Washington Seattle Campus admits about 39% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes University Of California Davis one of the best values for civil engineering. University Of California Davis is a very large public school located in the suburb of Davis. In-state tuition and fees average $15,804, compared with $47,692 for out-of-state students. Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $16,101 in student loans. Soon after graduation, civil engineering degree recipients from University Of California Davis generally make around $81,037. Set against $16,101 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in civil engineering will find it at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, which ranked #3. Set in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,161, with out-of-state students paying around $33,230. Students borrow a median of $20,424 to complete the civil engineering program here. Soon after graduation, civil engineering degree recipients from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo generally make around $83,280. That is a strong return on a $20,424 median debt. Roughly 31% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #4 makes University Of Southern California one of the best values for civil engineering. Set in the city of Los Angeles, University Of Southern California is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $71,647. Students borrow a median of $8,125 to complete the civil engineering program here. Early-career civil engineering graduates make about $88,144. That is a strong return on a $8,125 median debt. Roughly 10% of applicants are accepted.
Narrow Civil Engineering Schools by State
More Civil Engineering Rankings
View All Civil Engineering Rankings >
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 · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
