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2026 Best Value Civil Engineering Schools in Wisconsin

5 Colleges in the United States
$25,888 Avg Student Debt
$71,574 Avg Median Earnings (10yr)
2026 Best Value Civil Engineering Badge [Civil Engineering](/majors/engineering/civil-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 civil engineering students.

What’s on this page:

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2026 Best Value Civil Engineering Schools in Wisconsin

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

Best Value Civil Engineering Schools

1

Our analysis ranked University Of Wisconsin Platteville the best value for a degree in civil engineering in Wisconsin. Set in the town of Platteville, University Of Wisconsin Platteville is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,644, with out-of-state students paying around $17,603. Typical student debt for civil engineering graduates is $23,522. Early-career civil engineering graduates make about $69,582. Set against $23,522 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.

2

University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value civil engineering schools. Set in the city of Milwaukee, University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,398 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $22,398. Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $28,000 in student loans. Early-career civil engineering graduates make about $64,317. Set against $28,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.

3

A rank of #3 makes University Of Wisconsin Madison one of the best values for civil engineering. University Of Wisconsin Madison is a very large public school located in the city of Madison. Students from in state pay about $11,603 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $42,103. Typical student debt for civil engineering graduates is $23,250. Soon after graduation, civil engineering degree recipients from University Of Wisconsin Madison generally make around $78,253. Set against $23,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Wisconsin Madison admits about 45% of applicants.

4

A rank of #4 makes Milwaukee School Of Engineering one of the best values for civil engineering. Set in the city of Milwaukee, Milwaukee School Of Engineering is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $50,480. Typical student debt for civil engineering graduates is $27,667. Early-career civil engineering graduates make about $72,940. Set against $27,667 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 59% of applicants are accepted.

5
Marquette University crest
Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI

Marquette University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value civil engineering schools. Marquette University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Milwaukee. Students from in state pay about $51,170 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the civil engineering program here. Soon after graduation, civil engineering degree recipients from Marquette University generally make around $68,386. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 81%.

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Notes and References

This ranking is produced 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 5 ranked schools only.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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