2027 Best Value Value Schools in the Southwest Region
[Value](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/geography-and-environmental-studies/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong value education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 2 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for value students.
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2027 Best Value Value Schools in the Southwest Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in value, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Value Schools
Northern Arizona University earned the #1 spot for value among value schools in the Southwest Region. Set in the city of Flagstaff, Northern Arizona University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,619, while out-of-state students pay about $20,044. Typical student debt for value graduates is $21,645. Value graduates of Northern Arizona University earn a median of $47,056 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 90%.
A rank of #2 makes Texas Tech University one of the best values for value. Texas Tech University is a very large public school located in the city of Lubbock. Students from in state pay about $11,852 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $24,157. Value graduates carry a median of $24,271 in student loans. Early-career value graduates make about $50,332. That is a strong return on a $24,271 median debt. The acceptance rate is 73%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 2 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
