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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
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2026 Best Value General Environmental Engineering Schools in the The Plains States Region

4 Colleges in the United States
$23,762 Avg Student Debt
$75,386 Avg Median Earnings (10yr)
2026 Best Value General Environmental Engineering Badge [General Environmental Engineering](/majors/engineering/environmental-engineering/general-environmental-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 12 schools to find the best return on investment for general environmental engineering students.

What’s on this page:

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2026 Best Value General Environmental Engineering Schools in the The Plains States Region

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

Best Value General Environmental Engineering Schools

1

Leading the list is Missouri University Of Science And Technology, our #1 best value for general environmental engineering in the The Plains States Region. Set in the town of Rolla, Missouri University Of Science And Technology is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $14,984 in tuition and fees, compared with $33,248 for out-of-state students. General Environmental Engineering graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career general environmental engineering graduates make about $57,679. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.

2

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Minnesota Twin Cities earned it the #2 place for general environmental engineering. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public school located in the city of Minneapolis. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,214, with out-of-state students paying around $38,362. Typical student debt for general environmental engineering graduates is $27,000. Early-career general environmental engineering graduates make about $53,447. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 80%.

3

Students looking for strong value in general environmental engineering will find it at Iowa State University, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Ames, Iowa State University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,787, while out-of-state students pay about $28,881. General Environmental Engineering graduates carry a median of $23,495 in student loans. Early-career general environmental engineering graduates make about $53,900. Set against $23,495 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.

4

Students looking for strong value in general environmental engineering will find it at Washington University In St Louis, which ranked #4. Located in the suburb of St. Louis, Washington University In St Louis is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $65,790. General Environmental Engineering graduates carry a median of $17,553 in student loans. General Environmental Engineering graduates of Washington University In St Louis earn a median of $68,303 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 12%.

Narrow General Environmental Engineering Schools by State

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Notes and References

This ranking is produced 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 · 12 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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