2026 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in District of Columbia

[General Civil Engineering](/majors/engineering/civil-engineering/general-civil-engineering/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general civil engineering students.
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2026 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in District of Columbia
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
Leading the list is Catholic University Of America, our #1 best value for general civil engineering in District of Columbia. Catholic University Of America is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. In-state tuition and fees average $58,378. General Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $24,750 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general civil engineering degree recipients from Catholic University Of America generally make around $77,501. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at George Washington University earned it the #2 place for general civil engineering. George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Students from in state pay about $67,710 in tuition and fees. General Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $22,910 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general civil engineering degree recipients from George Washington University generally make around $73,749. Set against $22,910 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 47%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 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.