2026 Best Value Medical Science Schools in the The Plains States Region
[Medical Science](/majors/health-care-professions/medical-science/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong medical science education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools to find the best return on investment for medical science students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Medical Science Schools in the The Plains States Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the medical science degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Medical Science Schools
For return on investment in medical science, no school beat Saint Cloud State University this year. Located in the city of Saint Cloud, Saint Cloud State University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $10,245 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for medical science graduates is $25,076. Soon after graduation, medical science degree recipients from Saint Cloud State University generally make around $51,625. That is a strong return on a $25,076 median debt. Saint Cloud State University admits about 95% of applicants.
Washington University In St Louis came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value medical science schools. Set in the suburb of St. Louis, Washington University In St Louis is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $65,790 in tuition and fees. Medical Science graduates carry a median of $17,553 in student loans. Soon after graduation, medical science degree recipients from Washington University In St Louis generally make around $68,303. That is a strong return on a $17,553 median debt. The acceptance rate is 12%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 12 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.
