2026 Best Value Civil Engineering Schools in California
[Civil Engineering](/majors/engineering/civil-engineering/other-civil-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for civil engineering students.
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2026 Best Value Civil Engineering Schools in California
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in civil engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Civil Engineering Schools
University Of California Davis earned the #1 spot for value among civil engineering schools in California. Set in the suburb of Davis, University Of California Davis is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,804, compared with $47,692 for out-of-state students. Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $16,101 in student loans. Early-career civil engineering graduates make about $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 #2. Set in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,161, compared with $33,230 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,424 to complete the civil engineering program here. Early-career civil engineering graduates make about $83,280. Set against $20,424 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 31% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 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. Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $8,125 in student loans. Soon after graduation, civil engineering degree recipients from University Of Southern California generally make around $88,144. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 10% of applicants are accepted.
More Civil Engineering Rankings
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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 · 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.
