2026 Best Value Value Schools in the The Plains States Region
[Value](/majors/mathematics-and-statistics/applied-statistics/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong value education at a price that pays off.
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:
2026 Best Value Value Schools in the The Plains States Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in value, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Value Schools
For return on investment in value, no school beat University Of Kansas this year. University Of Kansas is a very large public school located in the city of Lawrence. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,102, compared with $30,432 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for value graduates is $23,608. Value graduates of University Of Kansas earn a median of $56,289 early in their careers. Set against $23,608 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Kansas admits about 94% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 3 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.
