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2022 Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

18 Ranked Colleges
296 Degrees Awarded
$12,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 2,802 people earned their degree in environmental engineering, making the major the 166th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, environmental engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $52,600 and had an average of $23,573 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southwest region, there were 296 environmental engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,000 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 18 colleges that offered a degree in environmental engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent environmental engineering programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the environmental engineering program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region environmental engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 18 Best Value Colleges for Environmental Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region

#1

Rice University

Houston, Texas

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Rice University landed the #1 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 10 ’s environmental engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Rice not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $7,534 for Southwest Region Environmental Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Rice.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Rice Environmental Engineering Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, this large public school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified ’s environmental engineering students in 2019-2020.

OSU also made our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is $9,962 for southwest region environmental engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Environmental Engineering at OSU

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas at Austin. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k. The University of Texas at Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 ’s environmental engineering degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Austin is $13,575 for Southwest Region Environmental Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UT Austin Environmental Engineering Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Arizona State University - Tempe. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Tempe, Arizona, and it awarded 47 ’s environmental engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ASU - Tempe, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $8,921 for Southwest Region Environmental Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend ASU - Tempe.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Environmental Engineering at ASU - Tempe

#5

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas Tech University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Lubbock, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s environmental engineering degrees to 50 students in 2019-2020.

Texas Tech also made our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Texas Tech is $13,326 for southwest region environmental engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Environmental Engineering at Texas Tech University

The University of Texas at San Antonio landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. The University of Texas at San Antonio is a large school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 3 ’s environmental engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UTSA, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $11,109 for southwest region environmental engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend The University of Texas at San Antonio.

Read full report on Environmental Engineering at The University of Texas at San Antonio

#7

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Arizona is a public institution located in Tucson, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region environmental engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, University of Arizona has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $11,466 for southwest region environmental engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Arizona.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Environmental Engineering at University of Arizona

#8

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

With a ranking of #8, University of Houston did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UH is a large school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 8 ’s environmental engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UH also made our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for UH is $9,925 for southwest region environmental engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Environmental Engineering at UH

#9

Lamar University

Beaumont, Texas

Lamar University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Lamar University is a fairly large school located in Beaumont, Texas that handed out 6 ’s environmental engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Lamar University also took the #11 spot in our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $10,631 for Southwest Region Environmental Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lamar University.

Read full report on Environmental Engineering at Lamar University

The University of Texas at El Paso landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. El Paso, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s environmental engineering degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UTEP, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UTEP is $7,427 for southwest region environmental engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UTEP Environmental Engineering Report

New Mexico State University - Main Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, this fairly large public school handed out 3 degrees to qualified ’s environmental engineering students in 2019-2020.

NMSU Main Campus did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $7,006 for Southwest Region Environmental Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NMSU Main Campus.

Read full report on Environmental Engineering at New Mexico State University - Main Campus

With a ranking of #12, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Socorro, New Mexico, and it awarded 8 ’s environmental engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at New Mexico Tech, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for New Mexico Tech is $12,297 for southwest region environmental engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Environmental Engineering at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Texas A&M University - Kingsville landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Texas A&M University - Kingsville is located in Kingsville, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 ’s environmental engineering degrees to qualified students.

Texas A&M Kingsville also made our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M Kingsville is $11,721 for Southwest Region Environmental Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Environmental Engineering at Texas A&M Kingsville

#14

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Northern Arizona University is a large school located in Flagstaff, Arizona that handed out 31 ’s environmental engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

NAU also made our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $9,799 for Southwest Region Environmental Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northern Arizona University.

Read more about Environmental Engineering at NAU

#15

West Texas A&M University

Canyon, Texas

West Texas A&M University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Canyon, Texas, this fairly large public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified ’s environmental engineering students in 2019-2020.

West Texas A&M University also made our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for West Texas A&M University is $10,146 for southwest region environmental engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full West Texas A&M University Environmental Engineering Report

With a ranking of #16, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Norman, Oklahoma, this large public school awarded 19 diplomas to qualified ’s environmental engineering students in 2019-2020.

University of Oklahoma also took the #8 spot in our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is $17,285 for Southwest Region Environmental Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Environmental Engineering Report

#17

Tarleton State University

Stephenville, Texas

With a ranking of #17, Tarleton State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Tarleton State University is located in Stephenville, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 ’s environmental engineering degrees to qualified students.

Tarleton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $17,132 for southwest region environmental engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Tarleton.

Read more about Environmental Engineering at Tarleton State University

Southern Methodist University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Southern Methodist University is located in Dallas, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 ’s environmental engineering degrees to qualified students.

SMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Southern Methodist University is $27,331 for southwest region environmental engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Environmental Engineering at SMU

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

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