2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Southwest Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in value, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Value Schools
Leading the list is Northern Arizona University, our #1 best value for value in the Southwest Region. Located in the city of Flagstaff, Northern Arizona University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,619, compared with $20,044 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,645 to complete the value program here. Early-career value graduates make about $47,056. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Narrow Value Schools by State
Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 2 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.
[Value](/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.
