2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Southwest Region
[Value](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/data-analytics/general/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 15 schools to find the best return on investment for value students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Southwest Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the value degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Value Schools
The University Of Texas At San Antonio tops our 2026 list of the best value value schools in the Southwest Region. The University Of Texas At San Antonio is a very large public school located in the city of San Antonio. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,326, with out-of-state students paying around $22,249. Value graduates carry a median of $23,312 in student loans. Value graduates of The University Of Texas At San Antonio earn a median of $49,955 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The University Of Texas At San Antonio admits about 87% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in value will find it at University Of North Texas, which ranked #2. University Of North Texas is a very large public school located in the city of Denton. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,309, while out-of-state students pay about $21,149. Students borrow a median of $21,817 to complete the value program here. Value graduates of University Of North Texas earn a median of $49,157 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of North Texas admits about 72% of applicants.
University Of Houston Downtown came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value value schools. University Of Houston Downtown is a large public school located in the city of Houston. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,582, with out-of-state students paying around $17,434. Typical student debt for value graduates is $23,925. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from University Of Houston Downtown generally make around $46,298. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 90%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at The University Of Texas At Arlington earned it the #4 place for value. Set in the city of Arlington, The University Of Texas At Arlington is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,950, compared with $29,582 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for value graduates is $21,632. Early-career value graduates make about $55,304. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #5 makes Texas State University San Marcos one of the best values for value. Located in the city of San Marcos, Texas State University San Marcos is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $11,450 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $22,930. Value graduates carry a median of $23,659 in student loans. Early-career value graduates make about $47,456. Set against $23,659 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 89%.
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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 · 15 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.
