by our College Data Analytics Team
[Value](/majors/mathematics-and-statistics/applied-statistics/) 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.
Our analysis ranked Baylor University the best value for a degree in value in Texas. Set in the city of Waco, Baylor University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $58,100. Typical student debt for value graduates is $23,928. Early-career value graduates make about $49,888. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 51%.
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.