2026 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in Kentucky
[General Civil Engineering](/majors/engineering/civil-engineering/general-civil-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general civil engineering education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value general civil engineering schools.
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2026 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in Kentucky
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general civil engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools
Our analysis ranked Western Kentucky University the best value for a degree in general civil engineering in Kentucky. Western Kentucky University is a large public school located in the city of Bowling Green. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,652, compared with $27,000 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general civil engineering graduates is $22,100. General Civil Engineering graduates of Western Kentucky University earn a median of $60,086 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,100 median debt. Roughly 94% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Kentucky earned it the #2 place for general civil engineering. University Of Kentucky is a very large public school located in the city of Lexington. In-state tuition and fees average $13,502, compared with $34,140 for out-of-state students. General Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $23,625 in student loans. General Civil Engineering graduates of University Of Kentucky earn a median of $68,175 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,625 median debt. The acceptance rate is 93%.
University Of Louisville came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value general civil engineering schools. Set in the city of Louisville, University Of Louisville is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,136, while out-of-state students pay about $29,482. Students borrow a median of $24,503 to complete the general civil engineering program here. General Civil Engineering graduates of University Of Louisville earn a median of $67,235 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,503 median debt. The acceptance rate is 79%.
More General Civil Engineering Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 3 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.
