by our College Data Analytics Team
[General Engineering](/majors/engineering/general-engineering/other-general-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for general engineering students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Snow College earned the #1 spot for value among general engineering schools in Utah. Set in the town of Ephraim, Snow College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,338, with out-of-state students paying around $14,288. Typical student debt for general engineering graduates is $10,440. Early-career general engineering graduates make about $42,776. That is a strong return on a $10,440 median debt.
A rank of #2 makes Weber State University one of the best values for general engineering. Set in the city of Ogden, Weber State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $6,557 in tuition and fees, compared with $17,545 for out-of-state students. General Engineering graduates carry a median of $19,176 in student loans. General Engineering graduates of Weber State University earn a median of $53,920 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $19,176 median debt.
A rank of #3 makes Dixie State College Of Utah one of the best values for general engineering. Located in the city of Saint George, Dixie State College Of Utah is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $6,306, with out-of-state students paying around $18,246. General Engineering graduates carry a median of $18,666 in student loans. General Engineering graduates of Dixie State College Of Utah earn a median of $42,266 early in their careers. Set against $18,666 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
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This list is compiled 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.
More about our data sources and methodologies.