[Engineering-Related Fields](/majors/engineering-technologies/engineering-related-fields/) 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.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value engineering-related fields schools.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in engineering-related fields, balancing cost against outcomes.
University Of North Carolina At Charlotte tops our 2027 list of the best value engineering-related fields schools in North Carolina. Set in the city of Charlotte, University Of North Carolina At Charlotte is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,239, compared with $22,492 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,673 to complete the engineering-related fields program here. Soon after graduation, engineering-related fields degree recipients from University Of North Carolina At Charlotte generally make around $51,799. That is a strong return on a $24,673 median debt. University Of North Carolina At Charlotte admits about 80% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in engineering-related fields will find it at East Carolina University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Greenville, East Carolina University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $7,361 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $23,638. Typical student debt for engineering-related fields graduates is $24,747. Early-career engineering-related fields graduates make about $51,931. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 89%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at North Carolina State University At Raleigh earned it the #3 place for engineering-related fields. Set in the city of Raleigh, North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,799, with out-of-state students paying around $32,847. Engineering-Related Fields graduates carry a median of $22,113 in student loans. Early-career engineering-related fields graduates make about $59,622. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 42%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Duke University earned it the #4 place for engineering-related fields. Located in the city of Durham, Duke University is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,758. Typical student debt for engineering-related fields graduates is $13,296. Engineering-Related Fields graduates of Duke University earn a median of $110,977 early in their careers. Set against $13,296 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 6% of applicants are accepted.
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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 · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
