2026 Best Value Nursing Science Schools in the Southwest Region
[Nursing Science](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/nursing-science/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong nursing science education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 17 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for nursing science students.
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2026 Best Value Nursing Science Schools in the Southwest Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in nursing science, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Nursing Science Schools
Our analysis ranked Texas Womans University the best value for a degree in nursing science in the Southwest Region. Set in the city of Denton, Texas Womans University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,640, while out-of-state students pay about $18,480. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the nursing science program here. Soon after graduation, nursing science degree recipients from Texas Womans University generally make around $111,254. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 96%.
New Mexico State University Main Campus came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value nursing science schools. Located in the suburb of Las Cruces, New Mexico State University Main Campus is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,183, with out-of-state students paying around $25,307. Students borrow a median of $18,484 to complete the nursing science program here. Nursing Science graduates of New Mexico State University Main Campus earn a median of $41,860 early in their careers. Set against $18,484 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 89%.
A rank of #3 makes Arizona State University one of the best values for nursing science. Set in the city of Tempe, Arizona State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,223 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $33,139. Typical student debt for nursing science graduates is $26,750. Nursing Science graduates of Arizona State University earn a median of $96,796 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Arizona State University admits about 90% of applicants.
The University Of Texas At Tyler came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value nursing science schools. Located in the city of Tyler, The University Of Texas At Tyler is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,512, while out-of-state students pay about $24,512. Nursing Science graduates carry a median of $24,356 in student loans. Nursing Science graduates of The University Of Texas At Tyler earn a median of $98,109 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,356 median debt. Roughly 94% of applicants are accepted.
Rogers State University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value nursing science schools. Located in the town of Claremore, Rogers State University is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $7,750 in tuition and fees, compared with $16,410 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for nursing science graduates is $26,625. Early-career nursing science graduates make about $69,170. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The University Of Texas At Arlington came in at #6 for value in nursing science this year. Located in the city of Arlington, The University Of Texas At Arlington is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $11,950 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $29,582. Nursing Science graduates carry a median of $26,182 in student loans. Early-career nursing science graduates make about $106,807. That is a strong return on a $26,182 median debt. The University Of Texas At Arlington admits about 80% of applicants.
University Of New Mexico Main Campus earned the #7 position for value in nursing science this year. Set in the city of Albuquerque, University Of New Mexico Main Campus is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,140, compared with $33,060 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for nursing science graduates is $18,404. Early-career nursing science graduates make about $84,023. That is a strong return on a $18,404 median debt. The acceptance rate is 95%.
University Of St Thomas Texas came in at #8 for value in nursing science this year. University Of St Thomas Texas is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Houston. Students from in state pay about $34,634 in tuition and fees. Nursing Science graduates carry a median of $24,607 in student loans. Nursing Science graduates of University Of St Thomas Texas earn a median of $83,793 early in their careers. Set against $24,607 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 90%.
The University Of Texas At Austin ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best value nursing science schools. Set in the city of Austin, The University Of Texas At Austin is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,688, with out-of-state students paying around $44,908. Students borrow a median of $19,651 to complete the nursing science program here. Early-career nursing science graduates make about $85,026. Set against $19,651 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 27%.
Oklahoma City University came in at #10 for value in nursing science this year. Located in the city of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $34,754. Typical student debt for nursing science graduates is $27,093. Early-career nursing science graduates make about $58,379. That is a strong return on a $27,093 median debt. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Tulsa landed the #11 spot for nursing science value this year. Set in the city of Tulsa, University Of Tulsa is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $49,546. Typical student debt for nursing science graduates is $30,125. Soon after graduation, nursing science degree recipients from University Of Tulsa generally make around $66,166. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 62%.
Oklahoma Wesleyan University ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best value nursing science schools. Located in the town of Bartlesville, Oklahoma Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $33,550. Typical student debt for nursing science graduates is $31,589. Early-career nursing science graduates make about $77,987. Set against $31,589 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 66% of applicants are accepted.
Texas Christian University placed #13 among the best values for nursing science. Set in the city of Fort Worth, Texas Christian University is a large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $61,740. Typical student debt for nursing science graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, nursing science degree recipients from Texas Christian University generally make around $60,035. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 44%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 17 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 11 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.
