by our College Data Analytics Team
[Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering](/majors/engineering/marine-engineering/naval-architecture-marine-engineering/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong naval architecture & marine engineering education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for naval architecture & marine engineering students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in naval architecture & marine engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
For return on investment in naval architecture & marine engineering, no school beat United States Merchant Marine Academy this year. Located in the suburb of Kings Point, United States Merchant Marine Academy is a small public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $895. Early-career naval architecture & marine engineering graduates make about $69,847. The acceptance rate is 34%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Suny Maritime College earned it the #2 place for naval architecture & marine engineering. Suny Maritime College is a small public school located in the city of Throggs Neck. Students from in state pay about $8,589 in tuition and fees, compared with $19,159 for out-of-state students. Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, naval architecture & marine engineering degree recipients from Suny Maritime College generally make around $92,559. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Webb Institute one of the best values for naval architecture & marine engineering. Set in the suburb of Glen Cove, Webb Institute is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $63,214. Soon after graduation, naval architecture & marine engineering degree recipients from Webb Institute generally make around $75,834. The acceptance rate is 14%.
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 · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.