2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Far Western Region

[Value](/majors/health-care-professions/bioethics-medical-ethics/nursing-education/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 14 schools to find the best return on investment for value students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Far Western Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in value, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Value Schools
For return on investment in value, no school beat Washington State University this year. Set in the town of Pullman, Washington State University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,391, while out-of-state students pay about $29,950. Students borrow a median of $21,903 to complete the value program here. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from Washington State University generally make around $54,697. Set against $21,903 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 87%.
A rank of #2 makes United States University one of the best values for value. Located in the city of San Diego, United States University is a mid-sized private for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $7,108. Students borrow a median of $32,641 to complete the value program here. Early-career value graduates make about $120,862. That is a strong return on a $32,641 median debt.
Narrow Value Schools by State
View All Value Rankings >
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 · 14 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.