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2026 Best Value Construction Engineering Schools in the The Plains States Region

[Construction Engineering](/majors/engineering/construction-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for construction engineering students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Construction Engineering Schools in the The Plains States Region

2026 Best Value Construction Engineering Schools in the The Plains States Region

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

Best Value Construction Engineering Schools

1

University Of Nebraska Lincoln
Lincoln, NE

$10,434 In-State Tuition & Fees

$22,386 Avg Student Debt

$56,887 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in construction engineering, no school beat University Of Nebraska Lincoln this year. Located in the city of Lincoln, University Of Nebraska Lincoln is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,434, with out-of-state students paying around $28,584. Typical student debt for construction engineering graduates is $22,386. Construction Engineering graduates of University Of Nebraska Lincoln earn a median of $49,755 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.

2

Iowa State University
Ames, IA

$10,787 In-State Tuition & Fees

$20,500 Avg Student Debt

$63,386 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in construction engineering will find it at Iowa State University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Ames, Iowa State University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $10,787 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $28,881. Construction Engineering graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, construction engineering degree recipients from Iowa State University generally make around $77,845. That is a strong return on a $20,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 89%.

View All Construction Engineering Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published 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 · 5 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.