2027 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in Michigan

[General Civil Engineering](/majors/engineering/civil-engineering/general-civil-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.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 6 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general civil engineering students.
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2027 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in Michigan
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general civil engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools
For return on investment in general civil engineering, no school beat University Of Michigan Ann Arbor this year. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public school located in the city of Ann Arbor. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,848, compared with $63,081 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general civil engineering graduates is $18,750. Early-career general civil engineering graduates make about $73,722. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 16%.
Wayne State University came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value general civil engineering schools. Located in the city of Detroit, Wayne State University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,159, compared with $34,650 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $30,548 to complete the general civil engineering program here. Soon after graduation, general civil engineering degree recipients from Wayne State University generally make around $76,348. That is a strong return on a $30,548 median debt. Wayne State University admits about 81% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes Michigan Technological University one of the best values for general civil engineering. Set in the town of Houghton, Michigan Technological University is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $20,532, with out-of-state students paying around $44,807. General Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. General Civil Engineering graduates of Michigan Technological University earn a median of $74,872 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. Roughly 92% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in general civil engineering will find it at Western Michigan University, which ranked #4. Western Michigan University is a large public school located in the city of Kalamazoo. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,987, with out-of-state students paying around $19,952. Students borrow a median of $29,156 to complete the general civil engineering program here. General Civil Engineering graduates of Western Michigan University earn a median of $69,706 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $29,156 median debt. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Michigan State University earned it the #5 place for general civil engineering. Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,079, while out-of-state students pay about $44,850. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the general civil engineering program here. Soon after graduation, general civil engineering degree recipients from Michigan State University generally make around $72,048. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 85%.
Lawrence Technological University ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value general civil engineering schools. Located in the city of Southfield, Lawrence Technological University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $44,760. Typical student debt for general civil engineering graduates is $30,197. General Civil Engineering graduates of Lawrence Technological University earn a median of $77,836 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $30,197 median debt. Lawrence Technological University admits about 56% of applicants.
More General Civil Engineering Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.