2027 Best Value Civil Engineering Schools in the The Plains States Region
[Civil Engineering](/majors/engineering/civil-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 18 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for civil engineering students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Civil Engineering Schools in the The Plains States Region
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 North Dakota State University Main Campus this year. Located in the city of Fargo, North Dakota State University Main Campus is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,910, with out-of-state students paying around $15,564. Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $25,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, civil engineering degree recipients from North Dakota State University Main Campus generally make around $72,729. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. North Dakota State University Main Campus admits about 95% of applicants.
University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a great value for students pursuing a degree in civil engineering, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Minneapolis, University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $17,214, while out-of-state students pay about $38,362. Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $22,103 in student loans. Early-career civil engineering graduates make about $65,835. That is a strong return on a $22,103 median debt. The acceptance rate is 80%.
University Of Missouri Kansas City is a great value for students pursuing a degree in civil engineering, landing the #3 spot this year. University Of Missouri Kansas City is a large public school located in the city of Kansas City. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,371, compared with $32,271 for out-of-state students. Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $24,424 in student loans. Early-career civil engineering graduates make about $70,686. Set against $24,424 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in civil engineering will find it at Missouri University Of Science And Technology, which ranked #4. Located in the town of Rolla, Missouri University Of Science And Technology is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $14,984, while out-of-state students pay about $33,248. Typical student debt for civil engineering graduates is $27,000. Civil Engineering graduates of Missouri University Of Science And Technology earn a median of $76,656 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 72%.
A rank of #5 makes University Of Nebraska Lincoln one of the best values for civil engineering. University Of Nebraska Lincoln is a very large public school located in the city of Lincoln. Students from in state pay about $10,434 in tuition and fees, compared with $28,584 for out-of-state students. Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $25,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, civil engineering degree recipients from University Of Nebraska Lincoln generally make around $70,542. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Kansas landed the #6 spot for civil engineering value this year. University Of Kansas is a very large public school located in the city of Lawrence. In-state tuition and fees average $12,102, while out-of-state students pay about $30,432. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the civil engineering program here. Civil Engineering graduates of University Of Kansas earn a median of $74,472 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 94%.
Iowa State University earned the #7 position for value in civil engineering this year. Set in the city of Ames, Iowa State University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,787, with out-of-state students paying around $28,881. Students borrow a median of $25,250 to complete the civil engineering program here. Early-career civil engineering graduates make about $76,006. That is a strong return on a $25,250 median debt. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
University Of North Dakota came in at #8 for value in civil engineering this year. Located in the city of Grand Forks, University Of North Dakota is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,951, while out-of-state students pay about $15,570. Typical student debt for civil engineering graduates is $26,600. Early-career civil engineering graduates make about $73,260. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Minnesota Duluth placed #9 among the best values for civil engineering. Set in the city of Duluth, University Of Minnesota Duluth is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,608, compared with $20,134 for out-of-state students. Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $26,044 in student loans. Civil Engineering graduates of University Of Minnesota Duluth earn a median of $65,175 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 89%.
Kansas State University ranked #10 on our 2027 list of the best value civil engineering schools. Kansas State University is a very large public school located in the city of Manhattan. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,221, with out-of-state students paying around $28,568. Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $25,250 in student loans. Civil Engineering graduates of Kansas State University earn a median of $69,300 early in their careers. Set against $25,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
Minnesota State University Mankato earned the #11 position for value in civil engineering this year. Located in the city of Mankato, Minnesota State University Mankato is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,572, with out-of-state students paying around $18,942. Students borrow a median of $25,234 to complete the civil engineering program here. Early-career civil engineering graduates make about $69,861. That is a strong return on a $25,234 median debt. Minnesota State University Mankato admits about 88% of applicants.
South Dakota State University came in at #12 for value in civil engineering this year. Set in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,299, compared with $12,809 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the civil engineering program here. Civil Engineering graduates of South Dakota State University earn a median of $69,129 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Missouri Columbia landed the #13 spot for civil engineering value this year. University Of Missouri Columbia is a very large public school located in the city of Columbia. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,837, while out-of-state students pay about $36,056. Typical student debt for civil engineering graduates is $26,828. Soon after graduation, civil engineering degree recipients from University Of Missouri Columbia generally make around $69,566. Set against $26,828 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology landed the #14 spot for civil engineering value this year. Located in the city of Rapid City, South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology is a mid-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,500, with out-of-state students paying around $14,900. Typical student debt for civil engineering graduates is $27,388. Civil Engineering graduates of South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology earn a median of $71,766 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology admits about 80% of applicants.
University Of Iowa ranked #15 on our 2027 list of the best value civil engineering schools. Set in the city of Iowa City, University Of Iowa is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,283, with out-of-state students paying around $33,371. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the civil engineering program here. Soon after graduation, civil engineering degree recipients from University Of Iowa generally make around $70,313. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 84%.
Saint Louis University Main Campus placed #16 among the best values for civil engineering. Located in the city of Saint Louis, Saint Louis University Main Campus is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $55,760 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for civil engineering graduates is $26,586. Civil Engineering graduates of Saint Louis University Main Campus earn a median of $65,599 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,586 median debt. The acceptance rate is 75%.
Dordt College landed the #17 spot for civil engineering value this year. Located in the town of Sioux Center, Dordt College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $37,050. Students borrow a median of $21,812 to complete the civil engineering program here. Early-career civil engineering graduates make about $54,926. That is a strong return on a $21,812 median debt. Dordt College admits about 68% of applicants.
University Of St Thomas Minnesota placed #18 among the best values for civil engineering. University Of St Thomas Minnesota is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Saint Paul. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $54,398. Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $23,923 in student loans. Soon after graduation, civil engineering degree recipients from University Of St Thomas Minnesota generally make around $65,183. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of St Thomas Minnesota admits about 85% of applicants.
Narrow Civil Engineering Schools by State
More Civil Engineering Rankings
View All Civil Engineering Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 18 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 18 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.
