2027 Best Value Civil Engineering Schools in New York
[Civil Engineering](/majors/engineering/civil-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong civil engineering education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 15 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for civil engineering students.
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2027 Best Value Civil Engineering Schools in New York
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 Cuny City College this year. Cuny City College is a large public school located in the city of New York. In-state tuition and fees average $7,340, while out-of-state students pay about $15,290. Students borrow a median of $17,500 to complete the civil engineering program here. Soon after graduation, civil engineering degree recipients from Cuny City College generally make around $67,194. That is a strong return on a $17,500 median debt. Roughly 60% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Cuny Laguardia Community College one of the best values for civil engineering. Cuny Laguardia Community College is a large public school located in the city of Long Island City. In-state tuition and fees average $5,218, while out-of-state students pay about $8,098. Typical student debt for civil engineering graduates is $8,858. Civil Engineering graduates of Cuny Laguardia Community College earn a median of $31,437 early in their careers. Set against $8,858 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Cooper Union For The Advancement Of Science And Art came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value civil engineering schools. Set in the city of New York, Cooper Union For The Advancement Of Science And Art is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $46,820. Typical student debt for civil engineering graduates is $16,805. Civil Engineering graduates of Cooper Union For The Advancement Of Science And Art earn a median of $16,678 early in their careers. Set against $16,805 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Cooper Union For The Advancement Of Science And Art admits about 21% of applicants.
Stony Brook University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in civil engineering, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Stony Brook, Stony Brook University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,931, with out-of-state students paying around $32,741. Students borrow a median of $17,250 to complete the civil engineering program here. Civil Engineering graduates of Stony Brook University earn a median of $71,856 early in their careers. Set against $17,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Stony Brook University admits about 49% of applicants.
Suny Institute Of Technology At Utica Rome came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value civil engineering schools. Set in the suburb of Utica, Suny Institute Of Technology At Utica Rome is a mid-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,625, compared with $21,215 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $19,146 to complete the civil engineering program here. Early-career civil engineering graduates make about $63,637. That is a strong return on a $19,146 median debt. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.
Columbia University In The City Of New York ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value civil engineering schools. Columbia University In The City Of New York is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $70,517. Students borrow a median of $23,258 to complete the civil engineering program here. Early-career civil engineering graduates make about $88,198. That is a strong return on a $23,258 median debt. Columbia University In The City Of New York admits about 4% of applicants.
University At Buffalo landed the #7 spot for civil engineering value this year. Set in the suburb of Buffalo, University At Buffalo is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $10,936, compared with $31,536 for out-of-state students. Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $22,913 in student loans. Soon after graduation, civil engineering degree recipients from University At Buffalo generally make around $66,207. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 74%.
Manhattan College came in at #8 for value in civil engineering this year. Located in the city of Riverdale, Manhattan College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $53,400. Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career civil engineering graduates make about $83,321. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 79% of applicants are accepted.
Cornell University ranked #9 on our 2027 list of the best value civil engineering schools. Set in the city of Ithaca, Cornell University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $69,314. Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $12,750 in student loans. Soon after graduation, civil engineering degree recipients from Cornell University generally make around $80,811. Set against $12,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 9%.
Clarkson University came in at #10 for value in civil engineering this year. Clarkson University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Potsdam. In-state tuition and fees average $59,398. Typical student debt for civil engineering graduates is $27,000. Early-career civil engineering graduates make about $70,136. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 77%.
Hofstra University placed #11 among the best values for civil engineering. Located in the suburb of Hempstead, Hofstra University is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $57,660. Typical student debt for civil engineering graduates is $24,848. Early-career civil engineering graduates make about $55,705. That is a strong return on a $24,848 median debt. Roughly 68% of applicants are accepted.
Rochester Institute Of Technology placed #12 among the best values for civil engineering. Rochester Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Rochester. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $59,210. Typical student debt for civil engineering graduates is $27,491. Early-career civil engineering graduates make about $63,515. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 67%.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ranked #13 on our 2027 list of the best value civil engineering schools. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Troy. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $64,078. Students borrow a median of $26,979 to complete the civil engineering program here. Early-career civil engineering graduates make about $74,035. Set against $26,979 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute admits about 64% of applicants.
New York University placed #14 among the best values for civil engineering. New York University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. Students from in state pay about $62,796 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for civil engineering graduates is $21,905. Early-career civil engineering graduates make about $82,144. Set against $21,905 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. New York University admits about 9% of applicants.
Syracuse University placed #15 among the best values for civil engineering. Located in the city of Syracuse, Syracuse University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $65,528. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the civil engineering program here. Early-career civil engineering graduates make about $74,748. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 46%.
More Civil Engineering Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 15 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 15 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.
