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2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Southeast Region

[Value](/majors/ethnic-cultural-gender-studies/ethnic-studies/ethnic-cultural-other/) 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.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 18 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for value students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Value Schools in the Southeast Region

2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Southeast Region

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the value degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Value Schools

1

Georgia State University
Atlanta, GA

$8,664 In-State Tuition & Fees

$31,000 Avg Student Debt

$47,384 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is Georgia State University, our #1 best value for value in the Southeast Region. Set in the city of Atlanta, Georgia State University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,664, with out-of-state students paying around $24,840. Value graduates carry a median of $31,000 in student loans. Early-career value graduates make about $27,932. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 55%.

2

Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN

$67,498 In-State Tuition & Fees

$13,975 Avg Student Debt

$91,565 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes Vanderbilt University one of the best values for value. Vanderbilt University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. Students from in state pay about $67,498 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $13,975 to complete the value program here. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from Vanderbilt University generally make around $77,997. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 6% of applicants are accepted.

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Notes and References

This list is compiled 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 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.