2026 Best Value Civil Engineering Schools in Washington
[Civil Engineering](/majors/engineering/civil-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 7 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value civil engineering schools.
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2026 Best Value Civil Engineering Schools in Washington
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in civil engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Civil Engineering Schools
For return on investment in civil engineering, no school beat University Of Washington Seattle Campus this year. University Of Washington Seattle Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Seattle. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,973, while out-of-state students pay about $43,209. Students borrow a median of $14,874 to complete the civil engineering program here. Early-career civil engineering graduates make about $80,410. That is a strong return on a $14,874 median debt. University Of Washington Seattle Campus admits about 39% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes Washington State University one of the best values for civil engineering. Set in the town of Pullman, Washington State University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,391, with out-of-state students paying around $29,950. Students borrow a median of $22,450 to complete the civil engineering program here. Soon after graduation, civil engineering degree recipients from Washington State University generally make around $74,841. That is a strong return on a $22,450 median debt. Washington State University admits about 87% of applicants.
Seattle University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in civil engineering, landing the #3 spot this year. Seattle University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Seattle. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $56,721. Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $24,000 in student loans. Civil Engineering graduates of Seattle University earn a median of $69,151 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 77%.
Students looking for strong value in civil engineering will find it at Gonzaga University, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Spokane, Gonzaga University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $55,480. Typical student debt for civil engineering graduates is $25,000. Civil Engineering graduates of Gonzaga University earn a median of $74,355 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 82%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
