2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Southeast Region
[Value](/majors/health-care-professions/public-health/patient-safety-and-healthcare-quality/) 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.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for value students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Southeast Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the value degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Value Schools
For return on investment in value, no school beat Eastern Kentucky University this year. Set in the town of Richmond, Eastern Kentucky University is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,320, while out-of-state students pay about $21,230. Typical student debt for value graduates is $22,999. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from Eastern Kentucky University generally make around $40,921. That is a strong return on a $22,999 median debt. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Alabama At Birmingham earned it the #2 place for value. Set in the city of Birmingham, University Of Alabama At Birmingham is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,098, with out-of-state students paying around $22,562. Value graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Early-career value graduates make about $44,505. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Alabama At Birmingham admits about 88% of applicants.
Narrow Value Schools by State
View All Value Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
