2027 Best Value Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing Schools in Texas

[Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/psychiatric-mental-health-nurse-nursing/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools to find the best return on investment for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing students.
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2027 Best Value Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing Schools in Texas
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing Schools
The University Of Texas Pan American earned the #1 spot for value among psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing schools in Texas. Located in the city of Edinburg, The University Of Texas Pan American is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $9,799, while out-of-state students pay about $19,645. Typical student debt for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates is $11,674. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates of The University Of Texas Pan American earn a median of $46,404 early in their careers. Set against $11,674 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 94% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing will find it at The University Of Texas At El Paso, which ranked #2. Set in the city of El Paso, The University Of Texas At El Paso is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,544 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $25,502. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $21,379 in student loans. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates of The University Of Texas At El Paso earn a median of $88,713 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The University Of Texas At El Paso admits about 100% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes The University Of Texas At Tyler one of the best values for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing. Set in the city of Tyler, The University Of Texas At Tyler is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,512 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $24,512. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $24,356 in student loans. Early-career psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates make about $98,109. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 94% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #4 makes Texas A And M University Texarkana one of the best values for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing. Texas A And M University Texarkana is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Texarkana. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,349, compared with $24,680 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates is $28,663. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates of Texas A And M University Texarkana earn a median of $67,768 early in their careers. Set against $28,663 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Texas A And M University Texarkana admits about 64% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Texas State University San Marcos earned it the #5 place for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing. Texas State University San Marcos is a very large public school located in the city of San Marcos. In-state tuition and fees average $11,450, while out-of-state students pay about $22,930. Typical student debt for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates is $23,250. Early-career psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates make about $84,285. That is a strong return on a $23,250 median debt. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
University Of St Thomas Texas landed the #6 spot for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing value this year. Set in the city of Houston, University Of St Thomas Texas is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $34,634. Typical student debt for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates is $24,607. Soon after graduation, psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing degree recipients from University Of St Thomas Texas generally make around $83,793. Set against $24,607 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 90%.
West Texas A And M University placed #7 among the best values for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing. Located in the town of Canyon, West Texas A And M University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $9,101 in tuition and fees, compared with $10,996 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $22,884 to complete the psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing program here. Soon after graduation, psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing degree recipients from West Texas A And M University generally make around $74,531. Set against $22,884 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 99%.
Texas A And M University College Station came in at #8 for value in psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing this year. Set in the city of College Station, Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,995 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $40,124. Students borrow a median of $21,500 to complete the psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing program here. Early-career psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates make about $98,675. Set against $21,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Texas A And M University College Station admits about 57% of applicants.
University Of The Incarnate Word ranked #9 on our 2027 list of the best value psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing schools. Located in the city of San Antonio, University Of The Incarnate Word is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $37,090 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,574 to complete the psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing program here. Soon after graduation, psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing degree recipients from University Of The Incarnate Word generally make around $85,614. That is a strong return on a $27,574 median debt. University Of The Incarnate Word admits about 98% of applicants.
Texas Christian University landed the #10 spot for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing value this year. 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. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing program here. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates of Texas Christian University earn a median of $133,545 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 44% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
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 · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 10 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.