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2026 Best Value Water Resources Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region

[Water Resources Engineering](/majors/engineering/civil-engineering/water-resources-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 2 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for water resources engineering students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Water Resources Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region

2026 Best Value Water Resources Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the water resources engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Water Resources Engineering Schools

1

Texas A And M University Kingsville
Kingsville, TX

$9,892 In-State Tuition & Fees

$24,625 Avg Student Debt

$51,450 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is Texas A And M University Kingsville, our #1 best value for water resources engineering in the Southwest Region. Set in the town of Kingsville, Texas A And M University Kingsville is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,892, with out-of-state students paying around $25,746. Water Resources Engineering graduates carry a median of $24,625 in student loans. Water Resources Engineering graduates of Texas A And M University Kingsville earn a median of $44,510 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 91%.

2

University Of New Mexico Main Campus
Albuquerque, NM

$10,140 In-State Tuition & Fees

$20,500 Avg Student Debt

$44,792 Median Earnings (10yr)

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of New Mexico Main Campus earned it the #2 place for water resources engineering. University Of New Mexico Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Albuquerque. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,140, compared with $33,060 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,500 to complete the water resources engineering program here. Water Resources Engineering graduates of University Of New Mexico Main Campus earn a median of $62,923 early in their careers. Set against $20,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 95% of applicants are accepted.

View All Water Resources Engineering Rankings >

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 · 2 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.