2026 Best Value General Master’s Degree Schools
[General](/majors/engineering/electrical-and-computer-engineering/general/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 45 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general students.
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2026 Best Value General Schools in the United States
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Schools
Leading the list is Rice University, our #1 best value for general in the United States. Rice University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Houston. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $61,247. General graduates carry a median of $11,904 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general degree recipients from Rice University generally make around $75,299. Set against $11,904 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 8% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Southern Illinois University Edwardsville one of the best values for general. Located in the suburb of Edwardsville, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $12,092. Students borrow a median of $23,917 to complete the general program here. General graduates of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville earn a median of $54,302 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in general will find it at University Of Michigan Ann Arbor, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Ann Arbor, University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,848, compared with $63,081 for out-of-state students. General graduates carry a median of $19,137 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general degree recipients from University Of Michigan Ann Arbor generally make around $66,254. That is a strong return on a $19,137 median debt. Roughly 16% of applicants are accepted.
Portland State University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value general schools. Set in the city of Portland, Portland State University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $11,118, while out-of-state students pay about $29,136. General graduates carry a median of $26,475 in student loans. Early-career general graduates make about $47,717. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 91%.
University Of Missouri Kansas City came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value general schools. University Of Missouri Kansas City is a large public school located in the city of Kansas City. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,371, with out-of-state students paying around $32,271. Typical student debt for general graduates is $23,741. Soon after graduation, general degree recipients from University Of Missouri Kansas City generally make around $60,324. That is a strong return on a $23,741 median debt. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
Brigham Young University Provo came in at #6 for value in general this year. Located in the city of Provo, Brigham Young University Provo is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $6,688 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $12,184 to complete the general program here. Early-career general graduates make about $54,507. That is a strong return on a $12,184 median debt. The acceptance rate is 68%.
Wichita State University placed #7 among the best values for general. Set in the city of Wichita, Wichita State University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,684 in tuition and fees, compared with $19,869 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general graduates is $24,262. General graduates of Wichita State University earn a median of $49,278 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,262 median debt. Wichita State University admits about 94% of applicants.
Michigan Technological University placed #8 among the best values for general. Set in the town of Houghton, Michigan Technological University is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $20,532, compared with $44,807 for out-of-state students. General graduates carry a median of $25,800 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general degree recipients from Michigan Technological University generally make around $64,652. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 92% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Alabama At Birmingham ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best value general schools. University Of Alabama At Birmingham is a very large public school located in the city of Birmingham. Students from in state pay about $9,098 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $22,562. Typical student debt for general graduates is $26,162. Soon after graduation, general degree recipients from University Of Alabama At Birmingham generally make around $55,413. Set against $26,162 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Suny At Albany earned the #10 position for value in general this year. Suny At Albany is a very large public school located in the city of Albany. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,601, with out-of-state students paying around $30,991. General graduates carry a median of $23,521 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general degree recipients from Suny At Albany generally make around $44,736. That is a strong return on a $23,521 median debt. Roughly 69% of applicants are accepted.
The University Of Texas At Austin earned the #11 position for value in general this year. Located in the city of Austin, The University Of Texas At Austin is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,688, while out-of-state students pay about $44,908. Students borrow a median of $21,275 to complete the general program here. Soon after graduation, general degree recipients from The University Of Texas At Austin generally make around $57,819. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 27% of applicants are accepted.
Suny At Binghamton earned the #12 position for value in general this year. Set in the suburb of Vestal, Suny At Binghamton is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $10,567, while out-of-state students pay about $30,447. General graduates carry a median of $20,691 in student loans. General graduates of Suny At Binghamton earn a median of $51,766 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $20,691 median debt. Roughly 39% of applicants are accepted.
Rochester Institute Of Technology earned the #13 position for value in general this year. Rochester Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Rochester. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $59,210. Typical student debt for general graduates is $27,491. General graduates of Rochester Institute Of Technology earn a median of $63,515 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Rochester Institute Of Technology admits about 67% of applicants.
University Of Southern California placed #14 among the best values for general. Set in the city of Los Angeles, University Of Southern California is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $71,647 in tuition and fees. General graduates carry a median of $15,625 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general degree recipients from University Of Southern California generally make around $75,677. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 10% of applicants are accepted.
Other General Degree Levels
Explore the best-value general schools at other degree levels:
View All General Rankings >
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 · 45 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 13 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.
