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2026 Best Value General Schools

[General](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/climate-science/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.

College Factual analyzed 14 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value general schools.

What’s on this page:

• Customize Your Rankings
• Best Value General Schools List
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Finding the Best Value General School for You

The general program you select can have a big impact on your finances and your future. To help, we created our Best Value General Schools ranking. We score each school on the balance of tuition, student debt, and post-graduation earnings to surface the best value.

Read more about our methodology

One Size Does Not Fit All

We offer a number of rankings, including this Best Value General Schools list, to help you decide. Want schools in a particular part of the country? Narrow the 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.

See how we build our rankings

2026 Best Value General Schools in the United States

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value General Schools

1

Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ

$12,619 In-State Tuition & Fees

$21,645 Avg Student Debt

$54,384 Median Earnings (10yr)

Our analysis ranked Northern Arizona University the best value for a degree in general in the United States. Northern Arizona University is a very large public school located in the city of Flagstaff. In-state tuition and fees average $12,619, while out-of-state students pay about $20,044. General graduates carry a median of $21,645 in student loans. Early-career general graduates make about $47,056. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.

2

Columbia University In The City Of New York
New York, NY

$70,517 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,258 Avg Student Debt

$102,491 Median Earnings (10yr)

Columbia University In The City Of New York came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value general schools. Located in the city of New York, Columbia University In The City Of New York is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $70,517 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general graduates is $23,258. Soon after graduation, general degree recipients from Columbia University In The City Of New York generally make around $86,770. That is a strong return on a $23,258 median debt. Roughly 4% of applicants are accepted.

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General Related Rankings by Major

General is one of many programs to choose from within the area of study. See all related rankings.

Notes and References

The ranking above is published 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 · 14 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.