2026 Best Value Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Civil Engineering](/majors/engineering/civil-engineering/other-civil-engineering/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
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 the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in civil engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Civil Engineering Schools
Southern Illinois University Carbondale earned the #1 spot for value among civil engineering schools in the Great Lakes Region. Set in the town of Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,334. Typical student debt for civil engineering graduates is $19,781. Early-career civil engineering graduates make about $65,269. That is a strong return on a $19,781 median debt. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
Illinois Institute Of Technology came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value civil engineering schools. Illinois Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $52,202. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the civil engineering program here. Soon after graduation, civil engineering degree recipients from Illinois Institute Of Technology generally make around $75,829. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 55%.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Notre Dame one of the best values for civil engineering. Set in the suburb of Notre Dame, University Of Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $65,025. Typical student debt for civil engineering graduates is $20,100. Civil Engineering graduates of University Of Notre Dame earn a median of $74,499 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Notre Dame admits about 11% of applicants.
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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 1 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.
