[Engineering-Related Fields](/majors/engineering-technologies/engineering-related-fields/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong engineering-related fields education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for engineering-related fields students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in engineering-related fields, balancing cost against outcomes.
For return on investment in engineering-related fields, no school beat University Of South Carolina Upstate this year. University Of South Carolina Upstate is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Spartanburg. In-state tuition and fees average $11,588, while out-of-state students pay about $23,090. Students borrow a median of $28,000 to complete the engineering-related fields program here. Soon after graduation, engineering-related fields degree recipients from University Of South Carolina Upstate generally make around $39,473. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 67%.
Citadel Military College Of South Carolina came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value engineering-related fields schools. Citadel Military College Of South Carolina is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Charleston. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,570, compared with $38,508 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for engineering-related fields graduates is $24,305. Early-career engineering-related fields graduates make about $52,909. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 23% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in engineering-related fields will find it at Clemson University, which ranked #3. Clemson University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Clemson. In-state tuition and fees average $15,554, with out-of-state students paying around $40,866. Typical student debt for engineering-related fields graduates is $25,000. Soon after graduation, engineering-related fields degree recipients from Clemson University generally make around $68,904. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 38% of applicants are accepted.
Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
