2026 Best Value Value Schools in New York
[Value](/majors/engineering-technologies/energy-systems/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong value education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 19 schools to find the best return on investment for value students.
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2026 Best Value Value Schools in New York
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in value, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Value Schools
Leading the list is Cuny Laguardia Community College, our #1 best value for value in New York. Set in the city of Long Island City, Cuny Laguardia Community College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,218, compared with $8,098 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $8,858 to complete the value program here. Value graduates of Cuny Laguardia Community College earn a median of $31,437 early in their careers. Set against $8,858 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at New York Institute Of Technology earned it the #2 place for value. Set in the rural area of Old Westbury, New York Institute Of Technology is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $46,560 in tuition and fees. Value graduates carry a median of $25,435 in student loans. Early-career value graduates make about $98,934. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 81%.
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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 · 19 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
