2027 Best Value Construction Engineering Schools in the The Plains States Region
[Construction Engineering](/majors/engineering/construction-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 3 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for construction engineering students.
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2027 Best Value Construction Engineering Schools in the The Plains States Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in construction engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Construction Engineering Schools
For return on investment in construction engineering, no school beat University Of Nebraska Lincoln this year. Set in the city of Lincoln, University Of Nebraska Lincoln is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,434, compared with $28,584 for out-of-state students. Construction Engineering graduates carry a median of $22,386 in student loans. Early-career construction engineering graduates make about $49,755. Set against $22,386 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Iowa State University came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value construction engineering schools. Set in the city of Ames, Iowa State University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,787, with out-of-state students paying around $28,881. Construction Engineering graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans. Construction Engineering graduates of Iowa State University earn a median of $77,845 early in their careers. Set against $20,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology earned it the #3 place for construction engineering. Set in the city of Rapid City, South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology is a mid-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $10,500, compared with $14,900 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for construction engineering graduates is $26,668. Soon after graduation, construction engineering degree recipients from South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology generally make around $75,838. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology admits about 80% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
