2026 Best Value Historic Preservation & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region
[Historic Preservation & Conservation](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/historic-preservation/historic-preservation-and-conservation/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong historic preservation & conservation education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 17 schools to find the best return on investment for historic preservation & conservation students.
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2026 Best Value Historic Preservation & Conservation Schools in the Southeast Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in historic preservation & conservation, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Historic Preservation & Conservation Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of Georgia the best value for a degree in historic preservation & conservation in the Southeast Region. Located in the city of Athens, University Of Georgia is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,450, with out-of-state students paying around $31,688. Typical student debt for historic preservation & conservation graduates is $21,792. Early-career historic preservation & conservation graduates make about $49,925. That is a strong return on a $21,792 median debt. The acceptance rate is 38%.
University Of Kentucky is a great value for students pursuing a degree in historic preservation & conservation, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Lexington, University Of Kentucky is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $13,502 in tuition and fees, compared with $34,140 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for historic preservation & conservation graduates is $24,094. Soon after graduation, historic preservation & conservation degree recipients from University Of Kentucky generally make around $49,568. That is a strong return on a $24,094 median debt. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
College Of Charleston came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value historic preservation & conservation schools. Set in the city of Charleston, College Of Charleston is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $12,978, compared with $38,296 for out-of-state students. Historic Preservation & Conservation graduates carry a median of $22,375 in student loans. Soon after graduation, historic preservation & conservation degree recipients from College Of Charleston generally make around $35,326. That is a strong return on a $22,375 median debt. College Of Charleston admits about 60% of applicants.
Clemson University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in historic preservation & conservation, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Clemson, Clemson University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $15,554, compared with $40,866 for out-of-state students. Historic Preservation & Conservation graduates carry a median of $23,783 in student loans. Early-career historic preservation & conservation graduates make about $53,834. That is a strong return on a $23,783 median debt. Roughly 38% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Mary Washington is a great value for students pursuing a degree in historic preservation & conservation, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Fredericksburg, University Of Mary Washington is a mid-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $14,905, with out-of-state students paying around $28,083. Students borrow a median of $23,250 to complete the historic preservation & conservation program here. Historic Preservation & Conservation graduates of University Of Mary Washington earn a median of $43,243 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,250 median debt. The acceptance rate is 80%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 17 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
