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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Civil Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

19 Ranked Colleges
1,027 Degrees Awarded
$13,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Civil Engineering is the 45th most popular major in the country with 21,561 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, civil engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $60,122 and had an average of $23,807 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 1,367 civil engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,694 and $24,331 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,027 civil engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered a degree in civil engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent civil engineering programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the civil engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Civil Engineering Schools

The civil eng school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 19 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Civil Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Missouri University of Science and Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. Rolla, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s civil eng degrees to 104 students in 2019-2020.

Missouri University of Science and Technology also made our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri University of Science and Technology is $10,755 for plains states region bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Missouri University of Science and Technology Civil Engineering Report

#2

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 49 bachelors’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

UMN Twin Cities not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $7,266 for plains states region bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at UMN Twin Cities

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Iowa State University is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 143 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, Iowa State has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State University is $10,054 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Iowa State University

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Duluth. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Minnesota - Duluth is a fairly large public school situated in Duluth, Minnesota. It awarded 48 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Duluth, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Duluth is $7,443 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of Minnesota - Duluth Civil Engineering Report

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #5 spot on the list. Mizzou is a large school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 95 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mizzou is $10,940 for plains states region bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Mizzou Civil Engineering Report

University of Nebraska - Lincoln landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lincoln, Nebraska is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s civil eng degrees to 109 students in 2019-2020.

UNL also took the #3 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNL is $12,216 for plains states region bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UNL Civil Engineering Report

With a ranking of #7, North Dakota State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fargo, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s civil eng degrees to 68 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Dakota State University, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus is $11,524 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full North Dakota State University - Main Campus Civil Engineering Report

#8

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota

University of North Dakota did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. UND is a fairly large public school situated in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It awarded 40 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

UND also took the #15 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UND is $11,092 for plains states region bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at University of North Dakota

#9

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Manhattan, Kansas, this large public school awarded 56 degrees to qualified bachelors’s civil eng students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at K -State, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Kansas State University is $14,232 for plains states region bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Kansas State University

Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Minnesota State Mankato is located in Mankato, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

Minnesota State Mankato also made our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Minnesota State University - Mankato is $11,057 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Minnesota State Mankato Civil Engineering Report

#11

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 53 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, Iowa has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,975 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Iowa.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low student loan default rate of 3.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at University of Iowa

#12

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota

South Dakota State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Brookings, South Dakota, this fairly large public school handed out 36 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s civil eng students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at South Dakota State, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend South Dakota State University is $15,285 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at South Dakota State University

#13

Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, Missouri

Saint Louis University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s civil eng degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

SLU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Louis University is $20,051 for plains states region bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Saint Louis University

#14

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

With a ranking of #14, University of Kansas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Kansas is a large school located in Lawrence, Kansas that handed out 56 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

KU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $14,387 for plains states region bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Kansas.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full KU Civil Engineering Report

#15

University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri

With a ranking of #15, University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UMKC is located in Kansas City, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

UMKC also made our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Kansas City is $12,065 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at University of Missouri - Kansas City

#16

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

University of Missouri - St Louis came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UMSL is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 3 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMSL has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - St Louis is $7,401 for plains states region bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UMSL Civil Engineering Report

With a ranking of #17, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Rapid City, South Dakota, and it awarded 49 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

SD Mines also made our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $15,464 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SD Mines.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

#18

Dordt University

Sioux Center, Iowa
#17 in overall quality

Dordt University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Sioux Center, Iowa, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Dordt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Dordt University is $24,967 for plains states region bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Dordt University

#19

University of St Thomas Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#13 in overall quality

University of St Thomas Minnesota landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s civil eng students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, UST MN has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of St Thomas Minnesota is $27,460 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Civil Engineering at UST MN

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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