by our College Data Analytics Team
[Value](/majors/mathematics-and-statistics/applied-statistics/general/) 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.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for value students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in value, balancing cost against outcomes.
University Of Kansas earned the #1 spot for value among value schools in the The Plains States Region. University Of Kansas is a very large public school located in the city of Lawrence. In-state tuition and fees average $12,102, with out-of-state students paying around $30,432. Value graduates carry a median of $23,608 in student loans. Early-career value graduates make about $56,289. Set against $23,608 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 94%.
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 · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.