by our College Data Analytics Team
[Telecommunications Engineering](/majors/engineering/ee-electrical-engineering/telecommunications-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 3 schools to find the best return on investment for telecommunications engineering students.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the telecommunications engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Arizona Western College tops our 2026 list of the best value telecommunications engineering schools in the Southwest Region. Set in the city of Yuma, Arizona Western College is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,060, compared with $9,870 for out-of-state students. Early-career telecommunications engineering graduates make about $44,895.
Students looking for strong value in telecommunications engineering will find it at The University Of Texas At Dallas, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Richardson, The University Of Texas At Dallas is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,644, compared with $40,144 for out-of-state students. Telecommunications Engineering graduates carry a median of $25,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, telecommunications engineering degree recipients from The University Of Texas At Dallas generally make around $91,186. That is a strong return on a $25,500 median debt. Roughly 65% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in telecommunications engineering will find it at Southern Methodist University, which ranked #3. Located in the suburb of Dallas, Southern Methodist University is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $67,040. Typical student debt for telecommunications engineering graduates is $20,712. Telecommunications Engineering graduates of Southern Methodist University earn a median of $70,632 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $20,712 median debt. Southern Methodist University admits about 63% of applicants.
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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 · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.