2026 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools in Virginia
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the systems engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Systems Engineering Schools
For return on investment in systems engineering, no school beat George Mason University this year. Set in the suburb of Fairfax, George Mason University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,220, compared with $38,688 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for systems engineering graduates is $21,000. Systems Engineering graduates of George Mason University earn a median of $101,091 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Ecpi University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in systems engineering, landing the #2 spot this year. Ecpi University is a large private for-profit school located in the city of Virginia Beach. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,484. Students borrow a median of $27,988 to complete the systems engineering program here. Early-career systems engineering graduates make about $48,429. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 74%.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Virginia Main Campus one of the best values for systems engineering. University Of Virginia Main Campus is a very large public school located in the suburb of Charlottesville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $23,118, compared with $61,591 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $19,500 to complete the systems engineering program here. Systems Engineering graduates of University Of Virginia Main Campus earn a median of $103,476 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $19,500 median debt. University Of Virginia Main Campus admits about 17% of applicants.
Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 5 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.
[Systems Engineering](/majors/engineering/systems-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong systems engineering education at a price that pays off.
