2026 Best Value Ethics Master’s Degree Schools
[Ethics](/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/ethics/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong ethics education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 35 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value ethics schools.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Ethics Schools in the United States
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in ethics, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Ethics Schools
For return on investment in ethics, no school beat University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee this year. Located in the city of Milwaukee, University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,398, with out-of-state students paying around $22,398. Students borrow a median of $25,500 to complete the ethics program here. Soon after graduation, ethics degree recipients from University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee generally make around $34,666. That is a strong return on a $25,500 median debt. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes American University one of the best values for ethics. Set in the city of Washington, American University is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $58,771. Typical student debt for ethics graduates is $24,139. Soon after graduation, ethics degree recipients from American University generally make around $58,030. Set against $24,139 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 62%.
Fordham University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in ethics, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Bronx, Fordham University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $64,470. Students borrow a median of $22,999 to complete the ethics program here. Soon after graduation, ethics degree recipients from Fordham University generally make around $59,403. That is a strong return on a $22,999 median debt. Roughly 59% of applicants are accepted.
Other Ethics Degree Levels
Looking for a different degree level? Compare best-value Ethics rankings across degree levels:
View All Ethics 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 · 35 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.
