---

2026 Best Value Value Schools in New York

[Value](/majors/health-care-professions/bioethics-medical-ethics/medical-health-humanities/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for value students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Value Schools in New York

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

1

Columbia University In The City Of New York
New York, NY

$70,517 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,258 Avg Student Debt

$102,491 Median Earnings (10yr)

Columbia University In The City Of New York earned the #1 spot for value among value schools in New York. Located in the city of New York, Columbia University In The City Of New York is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $70,517. Typical student debt for value graduates is $23,258. Value graduates of Columbia University In The City Of New York earn a median of $87,308 early in their careers. Set against $23,258 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Columbia University In The City Of New York admits about 4% of applicants.

2

University Of Rochester
Rochester, NY

$67,080 In-State Tuition & Fees

$21,517 Avg Student Debt

$79,042 Median Earnings (10yr)

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Rochester earned it the #2 place for value. University Of Rochester is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Rochester. In-state tuition and fees average $67,080. Students borrow a median of $21,517 to complete the value program here. Early-career value graduates make about $60,865. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Rochester admits about 40% of applicants.

View All Value Rankings >

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 · 3 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.