2027 Best Value General Bachelor’s Degree Schools
[General](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/economics-and-computer-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 4 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value general schools.
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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
For return on investment in general, no school beat Massachusetts Institute Of Technology this year. Set in the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $62,396. Students borrow a median of $13,516 to complete the general program here. General graduates of Massachusetts Institute Of Technology earn a median of $113,129 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 4% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in general will find it at Washington University In St Louis, which ranked #2. Located in the suburb of St. Louis, Washington University In St Louis is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $65,790 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $17,553 to complete the general program here. Early-career general graduates make about $68,303. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 12% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Emory University earned it the #3 place for general. Set in the city of Atlanta, Emory University is a large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $64,280. Students borrow a median of $19,431 to complete the general program here. General graduates of Emory University earn a median of $67,840 early in their careers. Set against $19,431 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Emory University admits about 11% of applicants.
Boston University came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value general schools. Located in the city of Boston, Boston University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,102. Typical student debt for general graduates is $25,232. General graduates of Boston University earn a median of $63,598 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,232 median debt. Boston University admits about 11% of applicants.
Other General Degree Levels
Looking for a different degree level? Compare best-value General rankings across degree levels:
View All General Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
