by our College Data Analytics Team
[Systems Engineering](/majors/engineering/systems-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong systems engineering education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 7 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value systems engineering schools.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the systems engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in systems engineering, no school beat Pennsylvania State University World Campus this year. Set in the city of University Park, Pennsylvania State University World Campus is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,356. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $63,435. Pennsylvania State University World Campus admits about 91% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Pennsylvania one of the best values for systems engineering. Located in the city of Philadelphia, University Of Pennsylvania is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $68,686 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for systems engineering graduates is $16,155. Systems Engineering graduates of University Of Pennsylvania earn a median of $99,682 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Pennsylvania admits about 5% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Drexel University earned it the #3 place for systems engineering. Located in the city of Philadelphia, Drexel University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $62,412. Typical student debt for systems engineering graduates is $28,838. Soon after graduation, systems engineering degree recipients from Drexel University generally make around $67,556. That is a strong return on a $28,838 median debt. Drexel University admits about 79% of applicants.
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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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.