2026 Best Value Value Schools in Washington
[Value](/majors/education/teacher-education-development-levels-methods/stem-educational-methods/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 1 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for value students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Value Schools in Washington
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in value, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Value Schools
Central Washington University tops our 2026 list of the best value value schools in Washington. Central Washington University is a very large public school located in the town of Ellensburg. In-state tuition and fees average $9,417, compared with $27,526 for out-of-state students. Value graduates carry a median of $20,353 in student loans. Value graduates of Central Washington University earn a median of $48,850 early in their careers. Set against $20,353 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 1 school evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
