2027 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools in the The Plains States Region
[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 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for systems engineering students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools in the The Plains States Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the systems engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Systems Engineering Schools
Wichita State University earned the #1 spot for value among systems engineering schools in the The Plains States Region. Wichita State University is a large public school located in the city of Wichita. Students from in state pay about $9,684 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $19,869. Typical student debt for systems engineering graduates is $24,262. Soon after graduation, systems engineering degree recipients from Wichita State University generally make around $49,278. That is a strong return on a $24,262 median debt. Wichita State University admits about 94% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in systems engineering will find it at Missouri University Of Science And Technology, which ranked #2. Set in the town of Rolla, Missouri University Of Science And Technology is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,984, with out-of-state students paying around $33,248. Typical student debt for systems engineering graduates is $25,187. Early-career systems engineering graduates make about $111,229. That is a strong return on a $25,187 median debt. The acceptance rate is 72%.
Students looking for strong value in systems engineering will find it at Washington University In St Louis, which ranked #3. Set in the suburb of St. Louis, Washington University In St Louis is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $65,790. Systems Engineering graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans. Early-career systems engineering graduates make about $83,874. That is a strong return on a $20,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 12%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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.
- 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.
