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2026 Best Value Construction Engineering Schools in California

[Construction Engineering](/majors/engineering/construction-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for construction engineering students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Construction Engineering Schools in California

2026 Best Value Construction Engineering Schools in California

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

Best Value Construction Engineering Schools

1

California Baptist University
Riverside, CA

$41,228 In-State Tuition & Fees

$28,169 Avg Student Debt

$61,504 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in construction engineering, no school beat California Baptist University this year. Located in the city of Riverside, California Baptist University is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $41,228. Construction Engineering graduates carry a median of $28,169 in student loans. Early-career construction engineering graduates make about $51,999. Set against $28,169 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. California Baptist University admits about 85% of applicants.

2

University Of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA

$71,647 In-State Tuition & Fees

$15,625 Avg Student Debt

$92,498 Median Earnings (10yr)

University Of Southern California came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value construction engineering schools. University Of Southern California is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $71,647. Typical student debt for construction engineering graduates is $15,625. Soon after graduation, construction engineering degree recipients from University Of Southern California generally make around $75,677. That is a strong return on a $15,625 median debt. University Of Southern California admits about 10% of applicants.

View All Construction Engineering Rankings >

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 · 4 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.