2027 Best Value General Schools
[General](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/economics-and-computer-science/general/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for general students.
What’s on this page:
Finding the Best Value General School for You
Where you study general affects both what you pay and what you earn. That is why we developed 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.
Learn more about our methodology
Customizing Your List
We offer a number of rankings, including this Best Value General Schools list, to help you decide. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this 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.
Read more about College Factual’s methodology
2027 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
Our analysis ranked Massachusetts Institute Of Technology the best value for a degree in general in the United States. Set in the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $62,396 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general graduates is $13,516. Soon after graduation, general degree recipients from Massachusetts Institute Of Technology generally make around $113,129. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Massachusetts Institute Of Technology admits about 4% of applicants.
Washington University In St Louis is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the suburb of St. Louis, Washington University In St Louis is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $65,790. Students borrow a median of $17,553 to complete the general program here. General graduates of Washington University In St Louis earn a median of $68,303 early in their careers. Set against $17,553 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 12%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Emory University earned it the #3 place for general. Emory University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Atlanta. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $64,280. General graduates carry a median of $19,431 in student loans. General graduates of Emory University earn a median of $67,840 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 11% of applicants are accepted.
Boston University came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value general schools. Set in the city of Boston, Boston University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,102. General graduates carry a median of $25,232 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general degree recipients from Boston University generally make around $63,598. That is a strong return on a $25,232 median debt. Boston University admits about 11% of applicants.
Duke University came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value general schools. Set in the city of Durham, Duke University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,758. General graduates carry a median of $13,296 in student loans. Early-career general graduates make about $83,388. That is a strong return on a $13,296 median debt. Roughly 6% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
