[Engineering-Related Fields](/majors/engineering-technologies/engineering-related-fields/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment 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.
Leading the list is Christian Brothers University, our #1 best value for engineering-related fields in Tennessee. Located in the city of Memphis, Christian Brothers University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $38,420. Typical student debt for engineering-related fields graduates is $32,416. Early-career engineering-related fields graduates make about $51,040. That is a strong return on a $32,416 median debt. The acceptance rate is 87%.
Middle Tennessee State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in engineering-related fields, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,266, while out-of-state students pay about $31,574. Engineering-Related Fields graduates carry a median of $19,576 in student loans. Early-career engineering-related fields graduates make about $67,431. That is a strong return on a $19,576 median debt. Roughly 69% of applicants are accepted.
The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value engineering-related fields schools. Located in the city of Chattanooga, The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,448, with out-of-state students paying around $18,512. Typical student debt for engineering-related fields graduates is $25,500. Soon after graduation, engineering-related fields degree recipients from The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga generally make around $60,284. That is a strong return on a $25,500 median debt. The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga admits about 81% of applicants.
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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
