by our College Data Analytics Team
[Engineering](/majors/engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for engineering students.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Leading the list is Community College Of Rhode Island, our #1 best value for engineering in Rhode Island. Community College Of Rhode Island is a large public school located in the city of Warwick. Students from in state pay about $5,550 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $14,834. Engineering graduates carry a median of $13,940 in student loans. Early-career engineering graduates make about $39,680. That is a strong return on a $13,940 median debt.
University Of Rhode Island is a great value for students pursuing a degree in engineering, landing the #2 spot this year. University Of Rhode Island is a very large public school located in the suburb of Kingston. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,942, compared with $37,146 for out-of-state students. Engineering graduates carry a median of $25,441 in student loans. Engineering graduates of University Of Rhode Island earn a median of $73,226 early in their careers. Set against $25,441 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
Brown University came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value engineering schools. Located in the city of Providence, Brown University is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $71,312. Engineering graduates carry a median of $14,500 in student loans. Early-career engineering graduates make about $85,635. That is a strong return on a $14,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 5%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Roger Williams University earned it the #4 place for engineering. Located in the suburb of Bristol, Roger Williams University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $45,197. Typical student debt for engineering graduates is $27,000. Engineering graduates of Roger Williams University earn a median of $48,664 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
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 · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.