by our College Data Analytics Team
[Medicine](/majors/health-care-professions/medicine/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for medicine students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in medicine, balancing cost against outcomes.
For return on investment in medicine, no school beat Old Dominion University this year. Located in the city of Norfolk, Old Dominion University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $12,750, compared with $33,780 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for medicine graduates is $26,001. Early-career medicine graduates make about $57,131. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Students looking for strong value in medicine will find it at University Of Virginia Main Campus, which ranked #2. University Of Virginia Main Campus is a very large public school located in the suburb of Charlottesville. Students from in state pay about $23,118 in tuition and fees, compared with $61,591 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $18,627 to complete the medicine program here. Medicine graduates of University Of Virginia Main Campus earn a median of $67,024 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $18,627 median debt. Roughly 17% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in medicine will find it at Virginia Commonwealth University, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $16,720, compared with $39,884 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for medicine graduates is $23,813. Soon after graduation, medicine degree recipients from Virginia Commonwealth University generally make around $65,351. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value medicine schools. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a very large public school located in the city of Blacksburg. Students from in state pay about $15,948 in tuition and fees, compared with $37,764 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,393 to complete the medicine program here. Soon after graduation, medicine degree recipients from Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University generally make around $65,887. Set against $23,393 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 55%.
Students looking for strong value in medicine will find it at Liberty University, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $16,173 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,414 to complete the medicine program here. Soon after graduation, medicine degree recipients from Liberty University generally make around $61,144. Set against $27,414 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.