2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Civil Engineering in the Plains States Region
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking.
In 2019-2020, 21,561 people earned their degree in civil engineering, making the major the 45th most popular in the United States. 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” ranking analyzed 19 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.
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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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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 a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree civil eng students.
Top 19 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Civil Engineering in the Plains States Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Dakota State University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. South Dakota State is a public institution located in Brookings, South Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
South Dakota State also made our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for South Dakota State is $19,252 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. North Dakota State University is located in Fargo, North Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 68 bachelors’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.
North Dakota State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $16,584 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students per year to attend North Dakota State University.
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%.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at North Dakota State University - Main Campus
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology landed the #3 spot on the list. Rapid City, South Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s civil eng degrees to 49 students in 2019-2020.
SD Mines not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is $19,815 for plains states region bachelor’s degree civil eng students.
The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Civil Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Dakota. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. University of North Dakota is a fairly large public school situated in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It awarded 40 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.
UND did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $15,738 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students per year to attend University of North Dakota.
The school has an impressive 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 North Dakota
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. University of Minnesota - Duluth is a public institution located in Duluth, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree civil eng students list, UMN Duluth has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Duluth is $17,067 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students.
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 University of Minnesota - Duluth Civil Engineering Report
With a ranking of #6, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 143 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa State, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $15,496 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, 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.
Minnesota State University - Mankato ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Minnesota State Mankato, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Minnesota State Mankato is $16,221 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students.
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%.
Read more about Civil Engineering at Minnesota State University - Mankato
Kansas State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. K -State is a large public school situated in Manhattan, Kansas. It awarded 56 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.
K -State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $18,285 for plains states region bachelor’s degree civil eng students per year to attend K -State.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at Kansas State University
University of Nebraska - Lincoln landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. UNL is a large public school situated in Lincoln, Nebraska. It awarded 109 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.
UNL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $17,208 for plains states region bachelor’s degree civil eng students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 Nebraska - Lincoln
University of Kansas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #10. University of Kansas is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 56 bachelors’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.
KU also made our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend University of Kansas is $18,918 for plains states region bachelor’s degree civil eng students.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #11, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. This large school is located in Columbia, Missouri, and it awarded 95 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree civil eng students list, Mizzou has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,001 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students per year to attend University of Missouri - Columbia.
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.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at University of Missouri - Columbia
Missouri University of Science and Technology landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a public institution located in Rolla, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 104 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Missouri University of Science and Technology did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri University of Science and Technology is $14,262 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities 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 ranking. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 49 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $17,740 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
With a ranking of #14, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. University of Iowa is located in Iowa City, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 53 bachelors’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.
Iowa also took the #10 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $19,145 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students per year to attend Iowa.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #15. UMKC is a fairly large public school situated in Kansas City, Missouri. It awarded 33 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMKC, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Kansas City is $14,643 for plains states region bachelor’s degree civil eng students.
Read more about Civil Engineering at University of Missouri - Kansas City
Dordt University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Dordt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Sioux Center, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Dordt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Dordt is $25,102 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students.
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%.
University of Missouri - St Louis landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree civil eng students list, UMSL has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $9,435 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students per year to attend UMSL.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at University of Missouri - St Louis
University of St Thomas Minnesota ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s civil eng degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UST MN, the school also landed the #13 spot 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 $29,155 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.
With a ranking of #19, Saint Louis University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Saint Louis University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 20 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.
SLU also made our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $28,188 for plains states region bachelor’s degree civil eng students per year to attend SLU.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Civil Engineering in the Plains States Region
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Master Sgt. Roger Parsons.
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