by our College Data Analytics Team
[Value](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/data-science/) 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.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for value students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in value, balancing cost against outcomes.
Leading the list is University Of Phoenix Arizona, our #1 best value for value in Arizona. University Of Phoenix Arizona is a very large private for-profit school located in the city of Phoenix. In-state tuition and fees average $9,552. Typical student debt for value graduates is $35,323. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from University Of Phoenix Arizona generally make around $60,453. That is a strong return on a $35,323 median debt.
Arizona State University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value value schools. Located in the city of Tempe, Arizona State University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $12,223, compared with $33,139 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for value graduates is $21,842. Early-career value graduates make about $55,876. Set against $21,842 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Arizona one of the best values for value. Set in the city of Tucson, University Of Arizona is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,573, with out-of-state students paying around $39,903. Students borrow a median of $21,861 to complete the value program here. Early-career value graduates make about $50,834. That is a strong return on a $21,861 median debt. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.