2027 Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in Colorado

[Environmental Engineering](/majors/engineering/environmental-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 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for environmental engineering students.
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2027 Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in Colorado
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in environmental engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools
Metropolitan State College Of Denver tops our 2027 list of the best value environmental engineering schools in Colorado. Located in the city of Denver, Metropolitan State College Of Denver is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,124, compared with $30,684 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $27,484 to complete the environmental engineering program here. Early-career environmental engineering graduates make about $44,861. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Metropolitan State College Of Denver admits about 99% of applicants.
Colorado State University Fort Collins came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value environmental engineering schools. Colorado State University Fort Collins is a very large public school located in the city of Fort Collins. In-state tuition and fees average $13,373, with out-of-state students paying around $35,061. Typical student debt for environmental engineering graduates is $27,500. Environmental Engineering graduates of Colorado State University Fort Collins earn a median of $66,109 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 88%.
University Of Colorado Boulder is a great value for students pursuing a degree in environmental engineering, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Boulder, University Of Colorado Boulder is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,214, compared with $42,970 for out-of-state students. Environmental Engineering graduates carry a median of $20,836 in student loans. Soon after graduation, environmental engineering degree recipients from University Of Colorado Boulder generally make around $63,049. Set against $20,836 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in environmental engineering will find it at Colorado School Of Mines, which ranked #4. Colorado School Of Mines is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Golden. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $21,914, while out-of-state students pay about $45,824. Students borrow a median of $23,500 to complete the environmental engineering program here. Environmental Engineering graduates of Colorado School Of Mines earn a median of $69,102 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 61%.
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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 · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.