2026 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in Colorado
[General Civil Engineering](/majors/engineering/civil-engineering/general-civil-engineering/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general civil engineering education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for general civil engineering students.
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2026 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in Colorado
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 Colorado Denver this year. University Of Colorado Denver is a very large public school located in the city of Denver. In-state tuition and fees average $10,383, with out-of-state students paying around $29,391. Students borrow a median of $38,460 to complete the general civil engineering program here. Early-career general civil engineering graduates make about $72,362. That is a strong return on a $38,460 median debt. Roughly 75% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in general civil engineering will find it at Colorado State University Fort Collins, which ranked #2. Colorado State University Fort Collins is a very large public school located in the city of Fort Collins. In-state tuition and fees average $13,373, while out-of-state students pay about $35,061. Students borrow a median of $25,480 to complete the general civil engineering program here. General Civil Engineering graduates of Colorado State University Fort Collins earn a median of $76,180 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,480 median debt. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in general civil engineering will find it at University Of Colorado Boulder, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Boulder, University Of Colorado Boulder is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,214, compared with $42,970 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general civil engineering graduates is $20,500. Early-career general civil engineering graduates make about $75,436. Set against $20,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Students looking for strong value in general civil engineering will find it at Colorado School Of Mines, which ranked #4. Set in the suburb of Golden, Colorado School Of Mines is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $21,914, with out-of-state students paying around $45,824. General Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Early-career general civil engineering graduates make about $72,238. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Colorado School Of Mines admits about 61% of applicants.
More General Civil Engineering Rankings
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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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
