2027 Best Value General Industrial Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region
[General Industrial Engineering](/majors/engineering/ie-industrial-engineering/general-industrial-engineering/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 15 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general industrial engineering students.
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2027 Best Value General Industrial Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general industrial engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Industrial Engineering Schools
Lamar University tops our 2027 list of the best value general industrial engineering schools in the Southwest Region. Located in the city of Beaumont, Lamar University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $8,905 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $18,745. Typical student debt for general industrial engineering graduates is $28,351. General Industrial Engineering graduates of Lamar University earn a median of $62,053 early in their careers. Set against $28,351 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes New Mexico State University Main Campus one of the best values for general industrial engineering. Set in the suburb of Las Cruces, New Mexico State University Main Campus is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $8,183 in tuition and fees, compared with $25,307 for out-of-state students. General Industrial Engineering graduates carry a median of $19,026 in student loans. General Industrial Engineering graduates of New Mexico State University Main Campus earn a median of $41,860 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. New Mexico State University Main Campus admits about 89% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in general industrial engineering will find it at The University Of Texas At El Paso, which ranked #3. Set in the city of El Paso, The University Of Texas At El Paso is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,544, with out-of-state students paying around $25,502. Typical student debt for general industrial engineering graduates is $15,552. General Industrial Engineering graduates of The University Of Texas At El Paso earn a median of $45,467 early in their careers. Set against $15,552 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 100%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at The University Of Texas At Arlington earned it the #4 place for general industrial engineering. Set in the city of Arlington, The University Of Texas At Arlington is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,950, while out-of-state students pay about $29,582. Typical student debt for general industrial engineering graduates is $22,503. Soon after graduation, general industrial engineering degree recipients from The University Of Texas At Arlington generally make around $76,390. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 80%.
Texas A And M University Kingsville is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general industrial engineering, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the town of Kingsville, Texas A And M University Kingsville is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,892 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $25,746. General Industrial Engineering graduates carry a median of $25,531 in student loans. Early-career general industrial engineering graduates make about $44,510. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 91%.
University Of Houston placed #6 among the best values for general industrial engineering. University Of Houston is a very large public school located in the city of Houston. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,717, compared with $22,547 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,500 to complete the general industrial engineering program here. Early-career general industrial engineering graduates make about $76,147. Set against $21,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
Texas A And M University Commerce earned the #7 position for value in general industrial engineering this year. Located in the town of Commerce, Texas A And M University Commerce is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,026, while out-of-state students pay about $22,326. Typical student debt for general industrial engineering graduates is $23,796. Early-career general industrial engineering graduates make about $63,269. That is a strong return on a $23,796 median debt. The acceptance rate is 92%.
Arizona State University came in at #8 for value in general industrial engineering this year. Arizona State University is a very large public school located in the city of Tempe. In-state tuition and fees average $12,223, compared with $33,139 for out-of-state students. General Industrial Engineering graduates carry a median of $19,375 in student loans. General Industrial Engineering graduates of Arizona State University earn a median of $77,850 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 90%.
University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus landed the #9 spot for general industrial engineering value this year. Located in the suburb of Norman, University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $9,797, with out-of-state students paying around $27,377. Typical student debt for general industrial engineering graduates is $26,125. Soon after graduation, general industrial engineering degree recipients from University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus generally make around $72,397. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 77%.
University Of Arizona ranked #10 on our 2027 list of the best value general industrial engineering schools. Located in the city of Tucson, University Of Arizona is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $13,573, while out-of-state students pay about $39,903. Typical student debt for general industrial engineering graduates is $21,861. Early-career general industrial engineering graduates make about $72,440. That is a strong return on a $21,861 median debt. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Texas State University San Marcos came in at #11 for value in general industrial engineering this year. Texas State University San Marcos is a very large public school located in the city of San Marcos. Students from in state pay about $11,450 in tuition and fees, compared with $22,930 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general industrial engineering graduates is $28,750. Early-career general industrial engineering graduates make about $61,718. That is a strong return on a $28,750 median debt. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
Oklahoma State University Main Campus ranked #12 on our 2027 list of the best value general industrial engineering schools. Set in the town of Stillwater, Oklahoma State University Main Campus is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $10,110, while out-of-state students pay about $25,630. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the general industrial engineering program here. General Industrial Engineering graduates of Oklahoma State University Main Campus earn a median of $69,486 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 75% of applicants are accepted.
Texas Tech University placed #13 among the best values for general industrial engineering. Texas Tech University is a very large public school located in the city of Lubbock. Students from in state pay about $11,852 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $24,157. Students borrow a median of $29,000 to complete the general industrial engineering program here. Soon after graduation, general industrial engineering degree recipients from Texas Tech University generally make around $71,545. Set against $29,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 73% of applicants are accepted.
The University Of Texas At Austin earned the #14 position for value in general industrial engineering this year. Set in the city of Austin, The University Of Texas At Austin is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,688, compared with $44,908 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general industrial engineering graduates is $21,275. Soon after graduation, general industrial engineering degree recipients from The University Of Texas At Austin generally make around $57,819. That is a strong return on a $21,275 median debt. The acceptance rate is 27%.
Texas A And M University College Station placed #15 among the best values for general industrial engineering. Located in the city of College Station, Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,995, compared with $40,124 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $19,708 to complete the general industrial engineering program here. Early-career general industrial engineering graduates make about $86,804. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Texas A And M University College Station admits about 57% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 15 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 15 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.
