2026 Best Value General Engineering Schools in New York
[General Engineering](/majors/engineering/general-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 43 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general engineering students.
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2026 Best Value General Engineering Schools in New York
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Engineering Schools
Suffolk County Community College earned the #1 spot for value among general engineering schools in New York. Suffolk County Community College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Selden. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,630, with out-of-state students paying around $12,460. Typical student debt for general engineering graduates is $11,246. General Engineering graduates of Suffolk County Community College earn a median of $35,667 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Cuny Queensborough Community College earned it the #2 place for general engineering. Located in the city of Bayside, Cuny Queensborough Community College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,210, while out-of-state students pay about $8,090. General Engineering graduates carry a median of $10,052 in student loans. General Engineering graduates of Cuny Queensborough Community College earn a median of $23,674 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Cuny Borough Of Manhattan Community College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value general engineering schools. Set in the city of New York, Cuny Borough Of Manhattan Community College is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,170 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $8,050. Students borrow a median of $8,794 to complete the general engineering program here. Early-career general engineering graduates make about $30,518. Set against $8,794 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Monroe Community College earned it the #4 place for general engineering. Set in the suburb of Rochester, Monroe Community College is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $6,006 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $11,056. Students borrow a median of $9,185 to complete the general engineering program here. General Engineering graduates of Monroe Community College earn a median of $38,757 early in their careers. Set against $9,185 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Hudson Valley Community College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value general engineering schools. Located in the city of Troy, Hudson Valley Community College is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,796, compared with $11,852 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general engineering graduates is $9,000. General Engineering graduates of Hudson Valley Community College earn a median of $43,989 early in their careers. Set against $9,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Cuny College Of Staten Island earned the #6 position for value in general engineering this year. Cuny College Of Staten Island is a large public school located in the city of Staten Island. Students from in state pay about $7,490 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $15,440. Students borrow a median of $14,688 to complete the general engineering program here. Early-career general engineering graduates make about $48,898. That is a strong return on a $14,688 median debt. Cuny College Of Staten Island admits about 92% of applicants.
Erie Community College earned the #7 position for value in general engineering this year. Located in the city of Buffalo, Erie Community College is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,100, with out-of-state students paying around $11,300. Students borrow a median of $12,580 to complete the general engineering program here. General Engineering graduates of Erie Community College earn a median of $37,069 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $12,580 median debt.
Onondaga Community College ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value general engineering schools. Located in the suburb of Syracuse, Onondaga Community College is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $6,102 in tuition and fees, compared with $11,392 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $12,623 to complete the general engineering program here. General Engineering graduates of Onondaga Community College earn a median of $35,781 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $12,623 median debt.
Orange County Community College placed #9 among the best values for general engineering. Located in the suburb of Middletown, Orange County Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,526, compared with $12,334 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $14,152 to complete the general engineering program here. General Engineering graduates of Orange County Community College earn a median of $43,442 early in their careers. Set against $14,152 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Broome Community College landed the #10 spot for general engineering value this year. Located in the suburb of Binghamton, Broome Community College is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $8,624, compared with $14,288 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general engineering graduates is $16,830. General Engineering graduates of Broome Community College earn a median of $41,560 early in their careers. Set against $16,830 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Mohawk Valley Community College placed #11 among the best values for general engineering. Set in the city of Utica, Mohawk Valley Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $6,218 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $8,851. Students borrow a median of $11,900 to complete the general engineering program here. General Engineering graduates of Mohawk Valley Community College earn a median of $38,373 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Suny Westchester Community College ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best value general engineering schools. Suny Westchester Community College is a large public school located in the suburb of Valhalla. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,948, with out-of-state students paying around $12,486. Typical student debt for general engineering graduates is $8,764. General Engineering graduates of Suny Westchester Community College earn a median of $57,520 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $8,764 median debt.
Jefferson Community College came in at #13 for value in general engineering this year. Jefferson Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Watertown. In-state tuition and fees average $6,264, with out-of-state students paying around $11,700. Typical student debt for general engineering graduates is $14,804. Early-career general engineering graduates make about $35,033. Set against $14,804 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Finger Lakes Community College came in at #14 for value in general engineering this year. Located in the rural area of Canandaigua, Finger Lakes Community College is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,258, while out-of-state students pay about $8,442. Students borrow a median of $16,736 to complete the general engineering program here. Early-career general engineering graduates make about $40,467. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Stony Brook University ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the best value general engineering schools. Set in the suburb of Stony Brook, Stony Brook University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $10,931, compared with $32,741 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,000 to complete the general engineering program here. General Engineering graduates of Stony Brook University earn a median of $55,437 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 49%.
University At Buffalo came in at #16 for value in general engineering this year. Located in the suburb of Buffalo, University At Buffalo is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,936, with out-of-state students paying around $31,536. General Engineering graduates carry a median of $22,232 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general engineering degree recipients from University At Buffalo generally make around $52,403. Set against $22,232 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
Rochester Institute Of Technology earned the #17 position for value in general engineering this year. Set in the suburb of Rochester, Rochester Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $59,210. Typical student debt for general engineering graduates is $27,491. Early-career general engineering graduates make about $63,515. Set against $27,491 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 67%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 43 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 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.
