[Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education & Teaching](/majors/education/teacher-education-development-levels-methods/junior-high-intermediate-middle-school-education-and-teaching/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 18 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching students.
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Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching, balancing cost against outcomes.
University Of South Carolina Aiken earned the #1 spot for value among junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching schools in South Carolina. Set in the suburb of Aiken, University Of South Carolina Aiken is a mid-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,760, while out-of-state students pay about $21,218. Typical student debt for junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching graduates is $24,776. Junior High/intermediate/middle School Education & Teaching graduates of University Of South Carolina Aiken earn a median of $38,667 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 78%.
A rank of #2 makes University Of South Carolina Upstate one of the best values for junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching. University Of South Carolina Upstate is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Spartanburg. In-state tuition and fees average $11,588, while out-of-state students pay about $23,090. Typical student debt for junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching graduates is $27,375. Junior High/intermediate/middle School Education & Teaching graduates of University Of South Carolina Upstate earn a median of $40,081 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,375 median debt. The acceptance rate is 67%.
Coastal Carolina University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching, landing the #3 spot this year. Coastal Carolina University is a large public school located in the city of Conway. Students from in state pay about $11,640 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $29,628. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching program here. Junior High/intermediate/middle School Education & Teaching graduates of Coastal Carolina University earn a median of $43,072 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 75% of applicants are accepted.
Francis Marion University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching schools. Francis Marion University is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Florence. In-state tuition and fees average $11,170, with out-of-state students paying around $21,544. Students borrow a median of $29,000 to complete the junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching program here. Soon after graduation, junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching degree recipients from Francis Marion University generally make around $41,456. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Lander University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching schools. Located in the town of Greenwood, Lander University is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,700, while out-of-state students pay about $21,300. Typical student debt for junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching graduates is $26,075. Soon after graduation, junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching degree recipients from Lander University generally make around $37,548. That is a strong return on a $26,075 median debt. Lander University admits about 81% of applicants.
Winthrop University came in at #6 for value in junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching this year. Located in the city of Rock Hill, Winthrop University is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,678, while out-of-state students pay about $28,676. Typical student debt for junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching graduates is $27,000. Early-career junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching graduates make about $44,482. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 79%.
College Of Charleston landed the #7 spot for junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching value this year. College Of Charleston is a large public school located in the city of Charleston. Students from in state pay about $12,978 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $38,296. Typical student debt for junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching graduates is $26,423. Early-career junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching graduates make about $44,347. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. College Of Charleston admits about 60% of applicants.
South Carolina State University ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching schools. South Carolina State University is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Orangeburg. In-state tuition and fees average $11,060, compared with $21,750 for out-of-state students. Junior High/intermediate/middle School Education & Teaching graduates carry a median of $31,740 in student loans. Soon after graduation, junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching degree recipients from South Carolina State University generally make around $39,914. That is a strong return on a $31,740 median debt. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
Bob Jones University landed the #9 spot for junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching value this year. Set in the city of Greenville, Bob Jones University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $22,892. Typical student debt for junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching graduates is $19,250. Early-career junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching graduates make about $34,152. Set against $19,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Charleston Southern University landed the #10 spot for junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching value this year. Charleston Southern University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Charleston. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $32,520. Typical student debt for junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching graduates is $27,000. Early-career junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching graduates make about $40,478. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 96% of applicants are accepted.
Clemson University came in at #11 for value in junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching this year. Located in the suburb of Clemson, Clemson University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $15,554, while out-of-state students pay about $40,866. Students borrow a median of $25,783 to complete the junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching program here. Early-career junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching graduates make about $41,080. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Clemson University admits about 38% of applicants.
Columbia College South Carolina came in at #12 for value in junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching this year. Located in the city of Columbia, Columbia College South Carolina is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $20,054. Students borrow a median of $28,000 to complete the junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching program here. Early-career junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching graduates make about $39,489. Set against $28,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Columbia College South Carolina admits about 94% of applicants.
University Of South Carolina Columbia earned the #13 position for value in junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching this year. University Of South Carolina Columbia is a very large public school located in the city of Columbia. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,688, compared with $36,298 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the junior high/intermediate/middle school education & teaching program here. Junior High/intermediate/middle School Education & Teaching graduates of University Of South Carolina Columbia earn a median of $43,172 early in their careers. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 60%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 18 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 12 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.
