by our College Data Analytics Team
[Systems Engineering](/majors/engineering/systems-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 1 schools to find the best return on investment for systems engineering students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in systems engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
For return on investment in systems engineering, no school beat University Of Dayton this year. Located in the city of Dayton, University Of Dayton is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $49,140. Typical student debt for systems engineering graduates is $25,033. Early-career systems engineering graduates make about $56,077. Set against $25,033 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 65% 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 · 1 school evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the one ranked school only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.