2026 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools in Florida

[Systems Engineering](/majors/engineering/systems-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for systems engineering students.
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2026 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools in Florida
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in systems engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Systems Engineering Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of Florida the best value for a degree in systems engineering in Florida. Set in the city of Gainesville, University Of Florida is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,381, compared with $28,659 for out-of-state students. Systems Engineering graduates carry a median of $19,250 in student loans. Early-career systems engineering graduates make about $96,835. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Florida admits about 24% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Florida State University earned it the #2 place for systems engineering. Set in the city of Tallahassee, Florida State University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,517, compared with $21,683 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for systems engineering graduates is $20,488. Soon after graduation, systems engineering degree recipients from Florida State University generally make around $51,884. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 24%.
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value systems engineering schools. Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Daytona Beach. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,097. Systems Engineering graduates carry a median of $20,787 in student loans. Early-career systems engineering graduates make about $115,154. That is a strong return on a $20,787 median debt. Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide admits about 58% of applicants.
Florida Institute Of Technology is a great value for students pursuing a degree in systems engineering, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of Melbourne, Florida Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $45,900. Students borrow a median of $32,114 to complete the systems engineering program here. Early-career systems engineering graduates make about $104,584. Set against $32,114 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 58% of applicants are accepted.
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.