2027 Best Value Strategic Intelligence Schools
[Strategic Intelligence](/majors/military-technologies-sciences/intelligence-command-control-ops/strategic-intelligence/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for strategic intelligence students.
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Finding the Best Value Strategic Intelligence School for You
Where you study strategic intelligence affects both what you pay and what you earn. That is why we developed our Best Value Strategic Intelligence Schools ranking. We score each school on the balance of tuition, student debt, and post-graduation earnings to surface the best value.
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Customizing Your List
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we offer several rankings, including this Best Value Strategic Intelligence Schools list, to help you choose. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we have developed a unique tool called College Combat that lets you compare schools on the factors that matter most to you.
Learn more about our methodology
2027 Best Value Strategic Intelligence Schools in the United States
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the strategic intelligence degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Strategic Intelligence Schools
Fayetteville State University tops our 2027 list of the best value strategic intelligence schools in the United States. Located in the city of Fayetteville, Fayetteville State University is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,353, with out-of-state students paying around $8,353. Typical student debt for strategic intelligence graduates is $27,869. Early-career strategic intelligence graduates make about $41,449. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Fayetteville State University admits about 82% of applicants.
American Public University System is a great value for students pursuing a degree in strategic intelligence, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the town of Charles Town, American Public University System is a very large private for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,400. Typical student debt for strategic intelligence graduates is $23,438. Soon after graduation, strategic intelligence degree recipients from American Public University System generally make around $57,404. Set against $23,438 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #3 makes University Of New Hampshire At Manchester one of the best values for strategic intelligence. Set in the city of Manchester, University Of New Hampshire At Manchester is a small public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,838, while out-of-state students pay about $36,418. Strategic Intelligence graduates carry a median of $26,393 in student loans. Strategic Intelligence graduates of University Of New Hampshire At Manchester earn a median of $49,649 early in their careers. Set against $26,393 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 81%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Missouri State University Springfield earned it the #4 place for strategic intelligence. Located in the city of Springfield, Missouri State University Springfield is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $9,502 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $18,770. Typical student debt for strategic intelligence graduates is $24,408. Soon after graduation, strategic intelligence degree recipients from Missouri State University Springfield generally make around $46,503. Set against $24,408 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in strategic intelligence will find it at Johns Hopkins University, which ranked #5. Johns Hopkins University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Baltimore. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $64,730. Typical student debt for strategic intelligence graduates is $13,426. Early-career strategic intelligence graduates make about $84,850. Set against $13,426 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 6%.
Harvard University earned the #6 position for value in strategic intelligence this year. Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard University is a very large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $61,676. Typical student debt for strategic intelligence graduates is $16,616. Early-career strategic intelligence graduates make about $95,207. Set against $16,616 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Harvard University admits about 4% of applicants.
Dakota State University earned the #7 position for value in strategic intelligence this year. Dakota State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Madison. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,654, with out-of-state students paying around $12,756. Students borrow a median of $28,724 to complete the strategic intelligence program here. Strategic Intelligence graduates of Dakota State University earn a median of $51,970 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $28,724 median debt. Dakota State University admits about 88% of applicants.
Saint Louis University Main Campus landed the #8 spot for strategic intelligence value this year. Located in the city of Saint Louis, Saint Louis University Main Campus is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $55,760. Students borrow a median of $26,586 to complete the strategic intelligence program here. Soon after graduation, strategic intelligence degree recipients from Saint Louis University Main Campus generally make around $65,599. That is a strong return on a $26,586 median debt. Saint Louis University Main Campus admits about 75% of applicants.
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Explore other best-value rankings in majors related to Strategic Intelligence. Browse the parent area of study.
Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 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.
