2021 Best Value Colleges for Electrical Engineering
Finding the Best Value Electrical Engineering School for You
Electrical Engineering is the #28 most popular major in the country with 17,946 bachelor's degrees awarded in 2018-2019.
For this year's Best Value Colleges for Electrical Engineering ranking, we looked at 196 colleges that offer a bachelor's in EE. To us, 'best value' doesn't just mean the school with the lowest overall costs. We are more focused on EE schools that offer a high quality education at a price lower that other schools of similar academic excellence.
To determine the average cost, we look at total expenses - such as tuition, fees, room and board, books, and other related expenses - and then subtract the average financial award a student receives. Knowing this amount can help you determine how much you may have to borrow in loans or take out of savings. Keep in mind that the net cost for you may be higher or lower, depending on your income and other factors.
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More Ways to Rank Electrical Engineering Schools
The EE school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Value EE Schools.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
2021 Best Value Electrical Engineering Schools in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Best Electrical Engineering Colleges for the Money.
Top 25 Best Value EE Schools
University of Florida earned the #1 spot in our 2021 rankings. U of F is a very large public school located in the medium-sized city of Gainesville. U of F excels when it comes to quality. It's ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Electrical Engineering list.
It takes about 4.3 years for the average student at U of F to complete their degree, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $28,230. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from U of F be around $120,542. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The average amount in student loans that EE majors at U of F take out while working on their bachelor's is $21,130. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $204.
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The #2 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Brigham Young University - Provo. BYU is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Provo.
It takes the average student at BYU about 5.2 years to graduate, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $12,239. This means that the average student pays around $64,132 to get a bachelor’s degree from BYU. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
After completing their bachelor's degree, EE graduates from BYU carry an average student debtload of $15,917.
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University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #3 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value electrical engineering schools. USF Tampa is a very large public school located in the large city of Tampa.
The average student at USF Tampa graduates in less than 4.3 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $23,095. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from USF Tampa is $99,308. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
EE majors at USF Tampa take out an average of $23,431 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $206, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Florida State University comes in at #4 in this year's ranking. Located in the midsize city of Tallahassee, Florida State is a public school with a very large student population.
At Florida State, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.2 years, and it costs about $27,233 per year to attend the school. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Florida State is $115,196. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
After completing their bachelor's degree, EE graduates from Florida State carry an average student debtload of $25,636. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $283.
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Purdue University - Main Campus earned the #5 spot in our 2021 rankings. Purdue is a fairly large public school located in the small city of West Lafayette. On top of its placing in our value rankings, Purdue also did well on our Best Colleges for Electrical Engineering list. It's in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.
It takes the average student at Purdue about 4.4 years to graduate, and it costs about $28,495 per year to attend the school. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Purdue is $124,238. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
EE majors at Purdue take out an average of $21,036 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $240.
Full Electrical Engineering at Purdue University - Main Campus Report
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The #6 spot in this year's ranking belongs to North Carolina State University. NC State is a fairly large public school located in the city of Raleigh. On top of its placing in our value rankings, NC State also did well on our Best Colleges for Electrical Engineering list. It's in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.
The average student at NC State graduates in less than 4.4 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $28,493. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from NC State be around $124,799. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
EE majors at NC State take out an average of $20,889 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $220.
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The #7 spot in this year's ranking belongs to University of Houston. U of H is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Houston.
It takes about 4.6 years for the average student at U of H to complete their degree, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $25,217. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from U of H be around $116,503. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
While working on their bachelor's, EE majors at U of H accumulate an average of around $24,113 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $252.
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The #8 spot in this year's ranking belongs to University of Central Florida. Located in the large suburb of Orlando, UCF is a public school with a very large student population.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at UCF is 4.5 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $27,064. This means that the average student pays around $120,976 to get a bachelor’s degree from UCF. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The average amount in student loans that EE majors at UCF take out while working on their bachelor's is $23,147. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $236.
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The #9 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Texas Tech University. Texas Tech is a very large public school located in the city of Lubbock.
It takes the average student at Texas Tech about 4.5 years to graduate, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $23,296. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech is about $105,298. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
While working on their bachelor's, EE majors at Texas Tech accumulate an average of around $27,859 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $283.
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Our rankings recognize Arizona State University - Tempe as the #10 school in this year's rankings. ASU - Tempe is a very large public school located in the city of Tempe. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, ASU - Tempe also is in the top 20% of our Best Colleges for Electrical Engineering ranking.
It takes the average student at ASU - Tempe about 4.3 years to graduate, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $32,198. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from ASU - Tempe be around $138,451. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
While working on their bachelor's, EE majors at ASU - Tempe accumulate an average of around $21,797 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $215.
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Our rankings recognize Milwaukee School of Engineering as the #11 school in this year's rankings. MSOE is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Milwaukee.
It takes about 4.4 years for the average student at MSOE to complete their degree, and it costs about $30,829 per year to attend the school. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from MSOE is $134,723. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
After completing their bachelor's degree, EE graduates from MSOE carry an average student debtload of $24,746. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $280.
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Missouri University of Science and Technology landed the #12 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value electrical engineering schools. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a medium-sized public school located in the remote town of Rolla.
The average student at Missouri University of Science and Technology graduates in less than 4.8 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $29,213. This means that the average student pays around $139,346 to get a bachelor’s degree from Missouri University of Science and Technology. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
While working on their bachelor's, EE majors at Missouri University of Science and Technology accumulate an average of around $22,254 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $230, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign landed the #13 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value electrical engineering schools. UIUC is a very large public school located in the small city of Champaign. In addition to its great value ranking, UIUC is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Electrical Engineering list.
It takes about 4.2 years for the average student at UIUC to complete their degree, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $32,679. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from UIUC is $137,252. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
On average, EE graduates from UIUC take out $19,760 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $211, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Iowa State University landed the #14 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value electrical engineering schools. Iowa State is a very large public school located in the small city of Ames.
It takes about 4.4 years for the average student at Iowa State to complete their degree, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $26,749. This means that the average student pays around $118,231 to get a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
On average, EE graduates from Iowa State take out $25,510 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $272, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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The #15 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Virginia Tech. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public college with a very large student population. In addition to its great value ranking, Virginia Tech is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Electrical Engineering list.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Virginia Tech is 4.3 years, and it costs about $33,298 per year to attend the school. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech is $142,182. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
While working on their bachelor's, EE majors at Virginia Tech accumulate an average of around $21,684 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $258, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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North Dakota State University - Main Campus comes in at #16 in this year's ranking. Located in the city of Fargo, North Dakota State University is a public school with a fairly large student population.
It takes the average student at North Dakota State University about 4.5 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $21,224. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from North Dakota State University is $96,145. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The average amount in student loans that EE majors at North Dakota State University take out while working on their bachelor's is $25,109. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $278.
Full Electrical Engineering at North Dakota State University - Main Campus Report
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University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #17 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value electrical engineering schools. Located in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public college with a fairly large student population. UMN Twin Cities also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges for Electrical Engineering list. It's in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
It takes about 4.2 years for the average student at UMN Twin Cities to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $33,989. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the UMN Twin Cities is $143,094. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
After completing their bachelor's degree, EE graduates from UMN Twin Cities carry an average student debtload of $21,005. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $218, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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University of North Dakota earned the #18 spot in our 2021 rankings. UND is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Grand Forks.
The average student at UND graduates in less than 4.6 years, and it costs about $23,788 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the UND is $109,187. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
On average, EE graduates from UND take out $25,605 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $280.
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Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #19 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value electrical engineering schools. Ohio State is a very large public school located in the large city of Columbus. In addition to its great value ranking, Ohio State is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Electrical Engineering list.
It takes the average student at Ohio State about 4.3 years to graduate, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $34,273. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State is $148,402. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The average amount in student loans that EE majors at Ohio State take out while working on their bachelor's is $22,750. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $236.
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Binghamton University earned the #20 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the suburb of Vestal, Binghamton University is a public school with a large student population.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Binghamton University is 4.1 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $31,957. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Binghamton University be around $131,982. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
EE majors at Binghamton University take out an average of $18,800 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $197, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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The #21 spot in this year's ranking belongs to California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a fairly large public school located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is 4.5 years, and it costs about $32,197 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $143,921. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
On average, EE graduates from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo take out $20,291 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $235, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Electrical Engineering at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Report
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Bradley University landed the #22 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value electrical engineering schools. Bradley is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Peoria.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Bradley is 4.3 years, and it costs about $30,832 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Bradley is $131,344. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
After completing their bachelor's degree, EE graduates from Bradley carry an average student debtload of $24,460. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $280.
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Western Michigan University comes in at #23 in this year's ranking. WMU is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Kalamazoo.
It takes the average student at WMU about 4.7 years to graduate, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $21,387. This means that the average student pays around $100,305 to get a bachelor’s degree from WMU. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The average amount in student loans that EE majors at WMU take out while working on their bachelor's is $26,504. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $259.
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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville comes in at #24 in this year's ranking. Located in the suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average student at SIUE graduates in less than 4.5 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $17,498. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from SIUE is $79,091. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
On average, EE graduates from SIUE take out $22,687 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $196.
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The #25 spot in this year's ranking belongs to University at Buffalo. Located in the suburb of Buffalo, University at Buffalo is a public college with a fairly large student population.
It takes about 4.2 years for the average student at University at Buffalo to complete their degree, and it costs about $32,466 per year to attend the school. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from University at Buffalo is $137,331. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The average amount in student loans that EE majors at University at Buffalo take out while working on their bachelor's is $18,950. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $208, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value Colleges for Electrical Engineering award.
Rank | College | Location |
---|---|---|
30 | Washington State University | Pullman, WA |
31 | University of Oklahoma Norman Campus | Norman, OK |
32 | Michigan Technological University | Houghton, MI |
33 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge, MA |
34 | Rutgers University - New Brunswick | New Brunswick, NJ |
35 | University of Illinois at Chicago | Chicago, IL |
36 | The University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX |
37 | Northern Illinois University | Dekalb, IL |
38 | SUNY Maritime College | Throggs Neck, NY |
39 | Florida International University | Miami, FL |
Electrical Engineering by Region
View the Best Value Colleges for Electrical Engineering for a specific region near you.
Region |
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Southeast |
New England |
Rocky Mountains |
Plains States |
Middle Atlantic |
Far Western US |
Southwest |
Great Lakes |
Rankings in Majors Related to EE
Electrical Engineering is one of 38 different types of Engineering programs to choose from.
Most Popular Majors Related to EE
Related Major | Annual Graduates |
---|---|
Mechanical Engineering | 37,343 |
Civil Engineering | 14,832 |
Chemical Engineering | 11,423 |
Computer Engineering | 10,704 |
Biomedical Engineering | 7,921 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to NASA.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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