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2023 Best Value Colleges for Civil Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in Pennsylvania

11 Ranked Colleges
1,000 Degrees Awarded
$18,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Civil Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Civil Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 21,388 people earned their degree in civil engineering, making the major the 50th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, civil engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $63,364 and had an average of $24,364 in loans still to pay off.

Across Pennsylvania, there were 1,000 civil engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $64,919 and $26,542 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Civil Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 11 colleges that offered a degree in civil engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality civil engineering programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the civil engineering program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Civil Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for pennsylvania civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 11 Best Value Colleges for Civil Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in Pennsylvania

1
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Carnegie Mellon University landed the #1 spot on the list. Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 125 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Carnegie Mellon did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $16,456 for pennsylvania civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Carnegie Mellon.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 Carnegie Mellon University

2
Lafayette crest
Lafayette College
Easton, Pennsylvania

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Lafayette College landed the #2 spot on the list. Lafayette is a small school located in Easton, Pennsylvania that handed out 32 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Lafayette also made our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Lafayette College is $11,728 for Pennsylvania Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Lafayette Civil Engineering Report

3
Lehigh crest
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Lehigh University landed the #3 spot on the list. Lehigh University is located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 66 ’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lehigh, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lehigh University is $15,561 for Pennsylvania Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Lehigh

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k. Pitt is a large public school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 87 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pitt, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Pitt is $15,084 for Pennsylvania Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Pitt Civil Engineering Report

5
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Villanova University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k. Villanova University is a fairly large school located in Villanova, Pennsylvania that handed out 96 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, Villanova has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Villanova University is $24,907 for Pennsylvania Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Villanova University

6
Bucknell crest
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

Bucknell University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Bucknell is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Bucknell also made our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Bucknell is $22,722 for Pennsylvania Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%.

Full Bucknell Civil Engineering Report

7
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Temple University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large public school awarded 69 diplomas to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, Temple has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $18,173 for Pennsylvania Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Temple.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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 full report on Civil Engineering at Temple University

8

York College of Pennsylvania landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. YCP is a small private not-for-profit school situated in York, Pennsylvania. It awarded 14 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at YCP, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $17,617 for Pennsylvania Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend YCP.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 YCP

9

University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 35 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pitt Johnstown, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown is $10,570 for Pennsylvania Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown

10
Drexel crest
Drexel University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Drexel University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Drexel University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 73 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, Drexel has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Drexel is $24,508 for pennsylvania civil eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Drexel

11
Widener crest
Widener University
Chester, Pennsylvania

Widener University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Chester, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 26 degrees to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.

Widener also made our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $29,378 for Pennsylvania Civil Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Widener.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Widener

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