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2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

236 Ranked Colleges
20,711 Degrees Awarded
$5,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 20,711 people earned their degree in general civil engineering, making the major the 41st most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 236 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general civil engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general civil engineering programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general civil engineering program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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The general civil engineering school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Civil Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Out of the 236 schools in the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Durham, North Carolina, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 49 diplomas to qualified ’s general civil engineering students in 2020-2021.

Duke also took the #7 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Duke University is $371 for General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Duke General Civil Engineering Report

2
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general civil engineering degrees to 176 students in 2020-2021.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $1,233 for general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at Stanford University

3
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 72 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $245 for general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at Northwestern University

4
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Princeton University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Princeton University is located in Princeton, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 47 ’s general civil engineering degrees to qualified students.

Princeton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $2,958 for general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Princeton University.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at Princeton University

5
MIT crest
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. MIT is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 37 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

MIT did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $5,193 for General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full MIT General Civil Engineering Report

6
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UF is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 244 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UF, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $65 for general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at University of Florida

7
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Rice is located in Houston, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s general civil engineering degrees to qualified students.

Rice did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Rice is $4,443 for General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at Rice University

8
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

With a ranking of #8, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 43 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Johns Hopkins has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins University is $2,084 for General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at Johns Hopkins

9

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general civil engineering degrees to 96 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,670 for General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend U-M.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

10
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Vanderbilt University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s general civil engineering degrees to qualified students.

Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt is $3,176 for general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at Vanderbilt

11

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 157 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UW - Madison also did well on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $3,981 for general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UW - Madison General Civil Engineering Report

12

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 403 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also took the #21 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $4,858 for general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

13
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 273 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Purdue also did well on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,995 for General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus General Civil Engineering Report

14

Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 147 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Columbia also made our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $9,873 for General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Columbia University in the City of New York.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York General Civil Engineering Report

15

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general civil engineering degrees to 274 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $5,194 for General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at UW Seattle

16
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

With a ranking of #16, Cornell University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cornell University is located in Ithaca, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 71 ’s general civil engineering degrees to qualified students.

Cornell also took the #16 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,244 for General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cornell.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at Cornell

17
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Medford, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general civil engineering degrees to 40 students in 2020-2021.

Tufts excels when it comes to general civil engineering quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $8,122 for general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Tufts University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Tufts University General Civil Engineering Report

18

University of California - Berkeley landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 294 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $8,450 for General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at UC Berkeley

19

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general civil engineering degrees to 155 students in 2020-2021.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $9,037 for general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at UCLA

20
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

With a ranking of #20, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general civil engineering degrees to 61 students in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia also took the #20 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,476 for General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Virginia - Main Campus General Civil Engineering Report

21
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. NC State is a large public school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 223 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, NC State is in the top on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend North Carolina State University is $7,283 for General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full North Carolina State University General Civil Engineering Report

22

With a ranking of #22, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 97 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UMN Twin Cities is also in the top of our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $7,698 for General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at UMN Twin Cities

23

University of California - Davis landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Davis, California, this large public school awarded 228 degrees to qualified ’s general civil engineering students in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also took the #17 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,006 for General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Davis.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at UC Davis

24

With a ranking of #24, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Georgia Tech is located in Atlanta, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 206 ’s general civil engineering degrees to qualified students.

Georgia Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is $8,818 for General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Georgia Tech General Civil Engineering Report

25
CCNY crest
The City College of New York
New York, New York

With a ranking of #25, The City College of New York did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 65 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for CCNY is $1,254 for general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at The City College of New York

Rest of the Best 36 in Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 36 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
28
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
29
30
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
31
32
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
33
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
34
35
36
Lafayette crest
Lafayette College
Easton, Pennsylvania

Notes and References

References

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