2026 Best Value Clinical Nurse Specialist Schools in the Southwest Region
[Clinical Nurse Specialist](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/clinical-nurse-specialist/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong clinical nurse specialist education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 6 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for clinical nurse specialist students.
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2026 Best Value Clinical Nurse Specialist Schools in the Southwest Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in clinical nurse specialist, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Clinical Nurse Specialist Schools
Northeastern State University earned the #1 spot for value among clinical nurse specialist schools in the Southwest Region. Located in the town of Tahlequah, Northeastern State University is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $7,810, compared with $17,290 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for clinical nurse specialist graduates is $26,542. Clinical Nurse Specialist graduates of Northeastern State University earn a median of $80,792 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Northeastern State University admits about 100% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at The University Of Texas At Austin earned it the #2 place for clinical nurse specialist. The University Of Texas At Austin is a very large public school located in the city of Austin. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,688, while out-of-state students pay about $44,908. Clinical Nurse Specialist graduates carry a median of $19,651 in student loans. Soon after graduation, clinical nurse specialist degree recipients from The University Of Texas At Austin generally make around $85,026. Set against $19,651 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 27% of applicants are accepted.
University Of The Incarnate Word is a great value for students pursuing a degree in clinical nurse specialist, landing the #3 spot this year. University Of The Incarnate Word is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Antonio. In-state tuition and fees average $37,090. Typical student debt for clinical nurse specialist graduates is $27,574. Early-career clinical nurse specialist graduates make about $51,876. That is a strong return on a $27,574 median debt. University Of The Incarnate Word admits about 98% of applicants.
Texas Christian University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in clinical nurse specialist, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of Fort Worth, Texas Christian University is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $61,740. Clinical Nurse Specialist graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, clinical nurse specialist degree recipients from Texas Christian University generally make around $133,545. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 44%.
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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 · 6 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.
