2026 Best Value General Education Schools in Louisiana

[General Education](/majors/education/general-education/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general education education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 10 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general education students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value General Education Schools in Louisiana
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Education Schools
Leading the list is Louisiana Delta Community College, our #1 best value for general education in Louisiana. Louisiana Delta Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Monroe. Students from in state pay about $4,159 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general education graduates is $14,024. General Education graduates of Louisiana Delta Community College earn a median of $35,839 early in their careers. Set against $14,024 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in general education will find it at Baton Rouge Community College, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge Community College is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,321. Typical student debt for general education graduates is $17,624. Early-career general education graduates make about $43,394. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Delgado Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general education, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of New Orleans, Delgado Community College is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,279 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $25,283 to complete the general education program here. General Education graduates of Delgado Community College earn a median of $36,073 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,283 median debt.
Southern University At New Orleans came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value general education schools. Set in the city of New Orleans, Southern University At New Orleans is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,054, while out-of-state students pay about $16,954. General Education graduates carry a median of $54,647 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Southern University At New Orleans generally make around $37,296. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 79%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College earned it the #5 place for general education. Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College is a very large public school located in the city of Baton Rouge. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,954, while out-of-state students pay about $28,631. Students borrow a median of $21,348 to complete the general education program here. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College generally make around $46,768. Set against $21,348 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 73%.
More General Education Rankings
View All General Education Rankings >
Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 10 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.