How to find reputation for a college’s engineering program?

Most engineering education in the US is fungible, particularly at the undergrad level. The curricula are standardized. There are elite universities like MIT and individual engineering programs at very ordinary universities with special circumstances, e.g. aerospace engineering at UA-Huntsville's proximity to Marshall Space Flight Center and Redstone Arsenal provides students easier access some world class opportunities that rankings might not reflect.

Elite universities aside (possibly), making a decision on the basis of economics is not unreasonable because engineering credentials are mostly treated as equivalent. By design, engineering credentials indicate basic competence not relative expertise.