2026 Best Value Electrical Engineering Associate’s Degree Schools
[Electrical Engineering](/majors/engineering/ee-electrical-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.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 464 schools to find the best return on investment for electrical engineering students.
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2026 Best Value Electrical Engineering Schools in the United States
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the electrical engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Electrical Engineering Schools
Leading the list is Cuny Laguardia Community College, our #1 best value for electrical engineering in the United States. Cuny Laguardia Community College is a large public school located in the city of Long Island City. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,218, with out-of-state students paying around $8,098. Students borrow a median of $8,858 to complete the electrical engineering program here. Early-career electrical engineering graduates make about $31,437. That is a strong return on a $8,858 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Tacoma Community College earned it the #2 place for electrical engineering. Set in the city of Tacoma, Tacoma Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,507, compared with $11,646 for out-of-state students. Electrical Engineering graduates carry a median of $14,822 in student loans. Early-career electrical engineering graduates make about $41,732. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #3 makes El Paso Community College one of the best values for electrical engineering. Located in the city of El Paso, El Paso Community College is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $3,274 in tuition and fees, compared with $5,314 for out-of-state students. Electrical Engineering graduates carry a median of $8,542 in student loans. Early-career electrical engineering graduates make about $29,086. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in electrical engineering will find it at Collin County Community College District, which ranked #4. Set in the suburb of McKinney, Collin County Community College District is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,014, while out-of-state students pay about $6,064. Students borrow a median of $9,716 to complete the electrical engineering program here. Early-career electrical engineering graduates make about $42,177. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Montgomery County Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in electrical engineering, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Blue Bell, Montgomery County Community College is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,690, while out-of-state students pay about $17,250. Students borrow a median of $15,219 to complete the electrical engineering program here. Early-career electrical engineering graduates make about $39,025. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Everett Community College placed #6 among the best values for electrical engineering. Located in the city of Everett, Everett Community College is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $5,032 in tuition and fees, compared with $11,171 for out-of-state students. Electrical Engineering graduates carry a median of $13,542 in student loans. Electrical Engineering graduates of Everett Community College earn a median of $47,441 early in their careers. Set against $13,542 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Caribbean University Bayamon ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value electrical engineering schools. Caribbean University Bayamon is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Bayamon. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,844. Electrical Engineering graduates carry a median of $12,628 in student loans. Soon after graduation, electrical engineering degree recipients from Caribbean University Bayamon generally make around $24,272. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Southern Technical College placed #8 among the best values for electrical engineering. Southern Technical College is a mid-sized private for-profit school located in the suburb of Orlando. Typical student debt for electrical engineering graduates is $20,000. Early-career electrical engineering graduates make about $30,091. Set against $20,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Other Electrical Engineering Degree Levels
Explore the best-value electrical engineering schools at other degree levels:
View All Electrical Engineering Rankings >
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 · 464 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.
