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2026 Best Value Architectural Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region

[Architectural Engineering](/majors/engineering/architectural-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for architectural engineering students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Architectural Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region

2026 Best Value Architectural Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in architectural engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Architectural Engineering Schools

1

North Carolina A And T State University
Greensboro, NC

$6,813 In-State Tuition & Fees

$28,608 Avg Student Debt

$44,440 Median Earnings (10yr)

North Carolina A And T State University tops our 2026 list of the best value architectural engineering schools in the Southeast Region. North Carolina A And T State University is a large public school located in the city of Greensboro. In-state tuition and fees average $6,813, compared with $20,673 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for architectural engineering graduates is $28,608. Early-career architectural engineering graduates make about $67,152. That is a strong return on a $28,608 median debt. Roughly 50% of applicants are accepted.

2

Auburn University
Auburn, AL

$12,890 In-State Tuition & Fees

$22,000 Avg Student Debt

$65,337 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in architectural engineering will find it at Auburn University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Auburn, Auburn University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $12,890, while out-of-state students pay about $34,922. Typical student debt for architectural engineering graduates is $22,000. Architectural Engineering graduates of Auburn University earn a median of $90,194 early in their careers. Set against $22,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 46%.

View All Architectural Engineering Rankings >

Notes and References

This list is compiled 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 · 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.