2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
[Value](/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-administration/general/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 20 schools to find the best return on investment for value students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Rocky Mountains 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 Brigham Young University Idaho this year. Set in the town of Rexburg, Brigham Young University Idaho is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $4,800 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $13,287 to complete the value program here. Value graduates of Brigham Young University Idaho earn a median of $43,853 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Brigham Young University Idaho admits about 96% of applicants.
Utah Valley University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in value, landing the #2 spot this year. Utah Valley University is a very large public school located in the city of Orem. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,507, with out-of-state students paying around $18,489. Students borrow a median of $16,478 to complete the value program here. Value graduates of Utah Valley University earn a median of $51,242 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $16,478 median debt.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Utah one of the best values for value. Set in the city of Salt Lake City, University Of Utah is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,620, compared with $30,860 for out-of-state students. Value graduates carry a median of $20,798 in student loans. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from University Of Utah generally make around $67,318. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Utah admits about 86% of applicants.
University Of Wyoming is a great value for students pursuing a degree in value, landing the #4 spot this year. University Of Wyoming is a large public school located in the town of Laramie. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,768, with out-of-state students paying around $24,178. Value graduates carry a median of $20,283 in student loans. Value graduates of University Of Wyoming earn a median of $49,890 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Wyoming admits about 97% of applicants.
A rank of #5 makes Southern Utah University one of the best values for value. Southern Utah University is a very large public school located in the town of Cedar City. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,962, while out-of-state students pay about $21,192. Students borrow a median of $12,886 to complete the value program here. Value graduates of Southern Utah University earn a median of $55,757 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $12,886 median debt. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
Brigham Young University Provo placed #6 among the best values for value. Located in the city of Provo, Brigham Young University Provo is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,688. Students borrow a median of $12,184 to complete the value program here. Early-career value graduates make about $58,390. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 68% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs placed #7 among the best values for value. University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs is a large public school located in the city of Colorado Springs. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,906, compared with $25,039 for out-of-state students. Value graduates carry a median of $23,559 in student loans. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs generally make around $70,497. Set against $23,559 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 97%.
University Of Colorado Denver earned the #8 position for value in value this year. Set in the city of Denver, University Of Colorado Denver is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,383 in tuition and fees, compared with $29,391 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for value graduates is $26,582. Early-career value graduates make about $66,943. Set against $26,582 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 75%.
The University Of Montana landed the #9 spot for value value this year. The University Of Montana is a large public school located in the city of Missoula. Students from in state pay about $8,552 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $33,671. Value graduates carry a median of $24,342 in student loans. Early-career value graduates make about $49,746. That is a strong return on a $24,342 median debt. The University Of Montana admits about 96% of applicants.
Boise State University placed #10 among the best values for value. Boise State University is a very large public school located in the city of Boise. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,048, compared with $27,788 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,311 to complete the value program here. Value graduates of Boise State University earn a median of $55,582 early in their careers. Set against $24,311 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 87%.
Colorado State University Fort Collins came in at #11 for value in value this year. Set in the city of Fort Collins, Colorado State University Fort Collins is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $13,373 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $35,061. Students borrow a median of $22,843 to complete the value program here. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from Colorado State University Fort Collins generally make around $51,693. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Colorado State University Fort Collins admits about 88% of applicants.
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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 · 20 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 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.
