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2023 Best Value Colleges for Civil Engineering (With Aid)

238 Ranked Colleges
21,388 Degrees Awarded
$12,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

This year’s “Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 238 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the civil engineering program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for civil eng students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Civil Engineering (With Aid)

1

Out of the 238 schools in the Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 320 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $12,017 for civil eng students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

2
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 176 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our civil eng students with aid list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $12,894 for Civil Eng students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Stanford

3
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school handed out 244 degrees to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.

UF also took the #25 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UF is $5,135 for Civil Eng students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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 97%.

Full University of Florida Civil Engineering Report

4
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 273 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Purdue also claimed a top spot on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $13,377 for Civil Eng students with aid per year to attend Purdue.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. 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 more about Civil Engineering at Purdue

5

Out of the 238 schools in the Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, The City College of New York landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 65 diplomas to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CCNY is $2,805 for civil eng students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full The City College of New York Civil Engineering Report

6

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Cal State LA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 95 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $3,302 for civil eng students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Cal State LA Civil Engineering Report

7

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 403 ’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our civil eng students with aid list, UIUC has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $14,321 for civil eng students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

8

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 160 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our civil eng students with aid list, UCLA has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $15,023 for civil eng students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles

9

University of California - San Diego came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 192 ’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our civil eng students with aid list, UCSD has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,240 for civil eng students with aid per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at University of California - San Diego

10

University of California - Davis landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 243 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our civil eng students with aid list, UC Davis has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $15,768 for civil eng students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Civil Engineering at UC Davis

11

Massachusetts Institute of Technology came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. MIT is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 45 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

MIT also took the #2 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend MIT is $16,407 for civil eng students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

12

California State University - Fresno ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 102 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $6,230 for Civil Eng students with aid per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Fresno State

13

With a ranking of #13, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 154 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $8,346 for Civil Eng students with aid.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at University of South Florida - Main Campus

14

Missouri University of Science and Technology ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Rolla, Missouri, and it awarded 168 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Missouri University of Science and Technology is in the top on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology is $12,964 for Civil Eng students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology

15

With a ranking of #15, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 157 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW - Madison is also in the top of our “Best Civil Engineering Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $17,234 for civil eng students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Madison

16
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. North Carolina State University is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 223 ’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, NC State is also in the top of our “Best Civil Engineering Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for North Carolina State University is $16,411 for civil eng students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full North Carolina State University Civil Engineering Report

17

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UT Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 214 ’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

UT Austin also claimed a top spot on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $18,350 for Civil Eng students with aid per year to attend UT Austin.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full The University of Texas at Austin Civil Engineering Report

18
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Princeton is a medium-sized school located in Princeton, New Jersey that handed out 47 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Princeton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Princeton University is $9,836 for Civil Eng students with aid.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Princeton Civil Engineering Report

19

University of Central Florida came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Central Florida is located in Orlando, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 201 ’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend UCF is $8,618 for Civil Eng students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at University of Central Florida

20

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 206 students in 2020-2021.

Georgia Tech also took the #24 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is $14,974 for civil eng students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Georgia Tech

21

University of California - Berkeley landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 294 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $16,032 for civil eng students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at UC Berkeley

22

California State University - Long Beach landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 171 ’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $10,054 for civil eng students with aid per year to attend CSULB.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Civil Engineering Report

23

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school handed out 268 diplomas to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $14,304 for Civil Eng students with aid.

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

Read full report on Civil Engineering at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

24

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 98 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,878 for civil eng students with aid per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at U-M

25

University of California - Irvine ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 142 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UC Irvine is also in the top of our “Best Civil Engineering Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $12,209 for civil eng students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Irvine Civil Engineering Report

Rest of the Best 36 in Best Value Civil Eng Schools For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 36 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia
27
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

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Notes and References

References

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