2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Southeast Region
[Value](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/security-science-and-technology/cybersecurity-defense/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 19 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value value schools.
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2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Southeast Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in value, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Value Schools
For return on investment in value, no school beat Kennesaw State University this year. Kennesaw State University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Kennesaw. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,808, with out-of-state students paying around $17,736. Value graduates carry a median of $27,004 in student loans. Early-career value graduates make about $53,824. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 69% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in value will find it at Regent University, which ranked #2. Regent University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Virginia Beach. Students from in state pay about $21,650 in tuition and fees. Value graduates carry a median of $29,451 in student loans. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from Regent University generally make around $67,561. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 38% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide one of the best values for value. Set in the city of Daytona Beach, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $12,097. Students borrow a median of $20,787 to complete the value program here. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide generally make around $94,550. That is a strong return on a $20,787 median debt. Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide admits about 58% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University one of the best values for value. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a very large public school located in the city of Blacksburg. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,948, while out-of-state students pay about $37,764. Value graduates carry a median of $23,393 in student loans. Early-career value graduates make about $60,004. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 55%.
A rank of #5 makes University Of Charleston one of the best values for value. University Of Charleston is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Charleston. Students from in state pay about $22,617 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for value graduates is $22,646. Early-career value graduates make about $64,407. Set against $22,646 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 62%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 19 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.
