2027 Best Value Pharmaceutics and Drug Design Schools in the Southeast Region

[Pharmaceutics and Drug Design](/majors/health-care-professions/pharmacy-pharmaceutical-sciences/pharmaceutics-and-drug-design/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 9 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value pharmaceutics and drug design schools.
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2027 Best Value Pharmaceutics and Drug Design Schools in the Southeast Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in pharmaceutics and drug design, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Pharmaceutics and Drug Design Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill the best value for a degree in pharmaceutics and drug design in the Southeast Region. University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a very large public school located in the city of Chapel Hill. Students from in state pay about $8,994 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $41,203. Students borrow a median of $15,117 to complete the pharmaceutics and drug design program here. Soon after graduation, pharmaceutics and drug design degree recipients from University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill generally make around $101,641. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 15% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Mississippi Main Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in pharmaceutics and drug design, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the town of University, University Of Mississippi Main Campus is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,772, while out-of-state students pay about $28,600. Students borrow a median of $21,000 to complete the pharmaceutics and drug design program here. Soon after graduation, pharmaceutics and drug design degree recipients from University Of Mississippi Main Campus generally make around $96,228. Set against $21,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 97%.
University Of Georgia came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value pharmaceutics and drug design schools. University Of Georgia is a very large public school located in the city of Athens. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,450, while out-of-state students pay about $31,688. Pharmaceutics And Drug Design graduates carry a median of $23,761 in student loans. Pharmaceutics And Drug Design graduates of University Of Georgia earn a median of $114,226 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,761 median debt. Roughly 38% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Louisiana Monroe earned it the #4 place for pharmaceutics and drug design. University Of Louisiana Monroe is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Monroe. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,190, while out-of-state students pay about $21,290. Students borrow a median of $22,465 to complete the pharmaceutics and drug design program here. Pharmaceutics And Drug Design graduates of University Of Louisiana Monroe earn a median of $47,162 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Louisiana Monroe admits about 85% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in pharmaceutics and drug design will find it at West Virginia University, which ranked #5. West Virginia University is a very large public school located in the city of Morgantown. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,104, compared with $28,608 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,772 to complete the pharmaceutics and drug design program here. Early-career pharmaceutics and drug design graduates make about $87,210. That is a strong return on a $23,772 median debt. The acceptance rate is 89%.
University Of Kentucky came in at #6 for value in pharmaceutics and drug design this year. Set in the city of Lexington, University Of Kentucky is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,502, with out-of-state students paying around $34,140. Typical student debt for pharmaceutics and drug design graduates is $24,094. Soon after graduation, pharmaceutics and drug design degree recipients from University Of Kentucky generally make around $90,985. Set against $24,094 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 93%.
University Of South Carolina Columbia landed the #7 spot for pharmaceutics and drug design value this year. University Of South Carolina Columbia is a very large public school located in the city of Columbia. Students from in state pay about $12,688 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $36,298. Pharmaceutics And Drug Design graduates carry a median of $24,537 in student loans. Early-career pharmaceutics and drug design graduates make about $101,440. That is a strong return on a $24,537 median debt. Roughly 60% of applicants are accepted.
Virginia Commonwealth University came in at #8 for value in pharmaceutics and drug design this year. Set in the city of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,720, compared with $39,884 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for pharmaceutics and drug design graduates is $23,813. Early-career pharmaceutics and drug design graduates make about $90,076. Set against $23,813 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Virginia Commonwealth University admits about 93% of applicants.
Auburn University ranked #9 on our 2027 list of the best value pharmaceutics and drug design schools. Auburn University is a very large public school located in the city of Auburn. In-state tuition and fees average $12,890, compared with $34,922 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $22,803 to complete the pharmaceutics and drug design program here. Early-career pharmaceutics and drug design graduates make about $110,525. Set against $22,803 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Auburn University admits about 46% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 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.