2026 Best Value Value Schools in the The Plains States Region
[Value](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/security-science-and-technology/criminalistics-and-criminal-science/) 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.
College Factual analyzed 2 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value value schools.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Value Schools in the The Plains States Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the value degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Value Schools
Washburn University earned the #1 spot for value among value schools in the The Plains States Region. Located in the city of Topeka, Washburn University is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,945, compared with $20,949 for out-of-state students. Value graduates carry a median of $21,638 in student loans. Value graduates of Washburn University earn a median of $39,252 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
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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 · 2 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.
