2027 Best Value General Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
[General Engineering](/majors/engineering/general-engineering/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general engineering education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 17 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general engineering students.
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2027 Best Value General Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Engineering Schools
Utah Valley University tops our 2027 list of the best value general engineering schools in the Rocky Mountains Region. Utah Valley University is a very large public school located in the city of Orem. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,507, with out-of-state students paying around $18,489. Students borrow a median of $16,478 to complete the general engineering program here. General Engineering graduates of Utah Valley University earn a median of $51,242 early in their careers. Set against $16,478 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Snow College earned it the #2 place for general engineering. Snow College is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Ephraim. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,338, with out-of-state students paying around $14,288. General Engineering graduates carry a median of $10,440 in student loans. Early-career general engineering graduates make about $42,776. That is a strong return on a $10,440 median debt.
Salt Lake Community College came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value general engineering schools. Located in the suburb of Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Community College is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,426, with out-of-state students paying around $14,244. Students borrow a median of $10,855 to complete the general engineering program here. Early-career general engineering graduates make about $42,031. That is a strong return on a $10,855 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in general engineering will find it at Red Rocks Community College, which ranked #4. Red Rocks Community College is a large public school located in the suburb of Lakewood. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,859, while out-of-state students pay about $17,459. Typical student debt for general engineering graduates is $14,471. Early-career general engineering graduates make about $76,340. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
College Of Western Idaho is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general engineering, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the rural area of Nampa, College Of Western Idaho is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $3,446, compared with $7,454 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general engineering graduates is $12,497. Soon after graduation, general engineering degree recipients from College Of Western Idaho generally make around $40,963.
Weber State University ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value general engineering schools. Set in the city of Ogden, Weber State University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $6,557, with out-of-state students paying around $17,545. Students borrow a median of $19,176 to complete the general engineering program here. General Engineering graduates of Weber State University earn a median of $53,920 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
University Of Colorado Denver placed #7 among the best values for general engineering. University Of Colorado Denver is a very large public school located in the city of Denver. Students from in state pay about $10,383 in tuition and fees, compared with $29,391 for out-of-state students. General Engineering graduates carry a median of $26,582 in student loans. Early-career general engineering graduates make about $66,288. Set against $26,582 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 75%.
Front Range Community College earned the #8 position for value in general engineering this year. Front Range Community College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Westminster. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,663, while out-of-state students pay about $17,263. Typical student debt for general engineering graduates is $17,384. Soon after graduation, general engineering degree recipients from Front Range Community College generally make around $40,414. That is a strong return on a $17,384 median debt.
University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs landed the #9 spot for general engineering value this year. Set in the city of Colorado Springs, University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $10,906, compared with $25,039 for out-of-state students. General Engineering graduates carry a median of $23,559 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general engineering degree recipients from University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs generally make around $114,220. Set against $23,559 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 97%.
Dixie State College Of Utah landed the #10 spot for general engineering value this year. Dixie State College Of Utah is a large public school located in the city of Saint George. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,306, with out-of-state students paying around $18,246. General Engineering graduates carry a median of $18,666 in student loans. General Engineering graduates of Dixie State College Of Utah earn a median of $42,266 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $18,666 median debt.
Montana Tech Of The University Of Montana ranked #11 on our 2027 list of the best value general engineering schools. Located in the town of Butte, Montana Tech Of The University Of Montana is a small public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,289, while out-of-state students pay about $26,094. Students borrow a median of $23,962 to complete the general engineering program here. General Engineering graduates of Montana Tech Of The University Of Montana earn a median of $68,773 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,962 median debt. The acceptance rate is 91%.
Colorado State University Fort Collins landed the #12 spot for general engineering value this year. Colorado State University Fort Collins is a very large public school located in the city of Fort Collins. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,373, while out-of-state students pay about $35,061. Students borrow a median of $22,843 to complete the general engineering program here. Soon after graduation, general engineering degree recipients from Colorado State University Fort Collins generally make around $93,602. That is a strong return on a $22,843 median debt. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Fort Lewis College ranked #13 on our 2027 list of the best value general engineering schools. Set in the town of Durango, Fort Lewis College is a mid-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,958, while out-of-state students pay about $21,526. Students borrow a median of $28,450 to complete the general engineering program here. General Engineering graduates of Fort Lewis College earn a median of $50,985 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
Boise State University ranked #14 on our 2027 list of the best value general engineering schools. Set in the city of Boise, Boise State University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,048, with out-of-state students paying around $27,788. General Engineering graduates carry a median of $24,311 in student loans. General Engineering graduates of Boise State University earn a median of $49,059 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Colorado Boulder landed the #15 spot for general engineering value this year. Set in the city of Boulder, University Of Colorado Boulder is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,214, compared with $42,970 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general engineering graduates is $20,373. Early-career general engineering graduates make about $115,924. That is a strong return on a $20,373 median debt. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
Colorado School Of Mines landed the #16 spot for general engineering value this year. Located in the suburb of Golden, Colorado School Of Mines is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $21,914 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $45,824. Typical student debt for general engineering graduates is $24,521. General Engineering graduates of Colorado School Of Mines earn a median of $76,298 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 61%.
Northwest Nazarene University ranked #17 on our 2027 list of the best value general engineering schools. Located in the suburb of Nampa, Northwest Nazarene University is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $40,824 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,562 to complete the general engineering program here. Early-career general engineering graduates make about $50,330. That is a strong return on a $27,562 median debt. Northwest Nazarene University admits about 65% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 17 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 17 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.
