2026 Best Value General Bachelor’s Degree Schools
[General](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/earth-systems-science/general/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 8 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value general schools.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value General Schools in the United States
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Schools
Leading the list is Arizona State University, our #1 best value for general in the United States. Set in the city of Tempe, Arizona State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,223 in tuition and fees, compared with $33,139 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,842 to complete the general program here. Early-career general graduates make about $55,876. Set against $21,842 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
Other General Degree Levels
Explore the best-value general schools at other degree levels:
View All General Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 8 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.
