2026 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. Northern Arizona University is a very large public school located in the city of Flagstaff. In-state tuition and fees average $12,619, while out-of-state students pay about $20,044. Students borrow a median of $21,645 to complete the value program here. Value graduates of Northern Arizona University earn a median of $47,056 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,645 median debt. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Narrow Value Schools by State
Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 1 school 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.
[Value](/majors/physical-sciences/physics-and-astronomy/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
