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2026 Best Value Applied Engineering Schools in the United States
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the applied engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Applied Engineering Schools
For return on investment in applied engineering, no school beat Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide this year. Located in the city of Daytona Beach, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $12,097 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for applied engineering graduates is $20,787. Early-career applied engineering graduates make about $76,517. That is a strong return on a $20,787 median debt. Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide admits about 58% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in applied engineering will find it at University Of Colorado Boulder, which ranked #2. University Of Colorado Boulder is a very large public school located in the city of Boulder. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,214, compared with $42,970 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for applied engineering graduates is $20,373. Early-career applied engineering graduates make about $115,924. Set against $20,373 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in applied engineering will find it at Savannah College Of Art And Design, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Savannah, Savannah College Of Art And Design is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $41,630. Students borrow a median of $26,346 to complete the applied engineering program here. Soon after graduation, applied engineering degree recipients from Savannah College Of Art And Design generally make around $40,671. Set against $26,346 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 83%.
Other Applied Engineering Degree Levels
Looking for a different degree level? Compare best-value Applied Engineering rankings across degree levels:
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 · 21 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
ADBLOCK #116
[Applied Engineering](/majors/engineering/general-engineering/applied-engineering/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong applied engineering education at a price that pays off.
