2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the Southwest Region
There are lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we're committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our Best Value Southwest Region Schools ranking.
We analyzed 111 colleges and universities to determine which were the best for overall value in the Southwest Region. This ranking doesn't just identify the colleges with the lowest costs. Rather, it highlights those institutions that offer excellent educational experiences for a lower cost than other schools of roughly the same caliber. So it is possible that College A may rank better than College B, while College B is less expensive to attend.
Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Our average cost calculation adds up all expenses, such as tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies, and other expenses, and then subtracts the average financial aid awarded to a student. This gives a rough estimation of how much money you can expect to pay out-of-pocket or through loans each year.
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Top Colleges for the Money in the Southwest Region
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2021 rankings named St. John’s College the best school for overall value in the Southwest Region for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Santa Fe, New Mexico is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 70 students in 2018-2019.
The average student at St. John’s graduates in less than 4.2 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $14,734. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from St. John’s be around $61,588. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The student-to-faculty rate of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. In addition to its great value ranking, St. John’s is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Colleges in the Southwest Region list.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Austin College. It ranked #2 on our 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Southwest Region list. Austin College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Sherman, Texas that handed out 342 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At Austin College, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.1 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $27,662. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Austin College is $112,861. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
Austin College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Colleges in the Southwest Region list.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas Tech University. The school came in at #3 in the Southwest Region on this year’s best value ranking. Texas Tech University is a large public school located in Lubbock, Texas that handed out 6,599 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Texas Tech graduates in less than 4.5 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $26,528. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech is $119,907. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
Texas Tech excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Colleges in the Southwest Region list.
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Out of the 111 schools in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Oklahoma City University landed the #4 spot on the list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and it awarded 552 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at OCU about 4.2 years to graduate, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $29,790. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from OCU is $125,118. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. On top of its placing in our value rankings, OCU also did well on our Best Colleges in the Southwest Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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A rank of #5 on our Best Colleges for the Money in the Southwest Region list means St. Mary’s University is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. San Antonio, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 468 students in 2018-2019.
The average student at St. Mary’s graduates in less than 4.2 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $26,726. This means that the average student pays around $113,586 to get a bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
On top of its placing in our value rankings, St. Mary’s also did well on our Best Colleges in the Southwest Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Texas Lutheran University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the Southwest Region ranking. TLU is located in Seguin, Texas and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 278 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
At TLU, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.3 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $24,319. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from TLU is about $104,815. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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University of Houston did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #7. University of Houston is a large public school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 7,631 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At U of H, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.6 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $28,068. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from U of H is $129,674. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The low student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. U of H excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Colleges in the Southwest Region list.
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Southwestern University landed the #8 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Southwest Region ranking. Southwestern U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Georgetown, Texas. It awarded 375 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At Southwestern U, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.1 years, and it costs about $33,948 per year to attend the school. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Southwestern U is $139,526. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. In addition to its great value ranking, Southwestern U is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges in the Southwest Region list.
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With a ranking of #9, Trinity University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the Southwest Region list. Trinity University is a small private not-for-profit school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 617 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At Trinity U, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.2 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $35,662. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Trinity U be around $148,711. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
With a student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Trinity U not only placed well in our value rankings, but it is also #3 on our Best Colleges in the Southwest Region list.
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With a ranking of #10, University of Tulsa did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the Southwest Region list. Located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 820 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at University of Tulsa about 4.3 years to graduate, and it costs about $33,654 per year to attend the school. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from University of Tulsa be around $143,703. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, University of Tulsa also is in the top 10% of our Best Colleges in the Southwest Region ranking.
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Midwestern State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in Wichita Falls, Texas, the medium-sized public school handed out 1,201 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.7 years for the average student at MSU to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $18,648. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from MSU is $87,086. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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With a ranking of #12, Oklahoma State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the Southwest Region list. Located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, the large public school handed out 4,899 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.4 years for the average student at Oklahoma State to complete their degree, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $29,361. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State is $129,776. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
On top of its placing in our value rankings, Oklahoma State also did well on our Best Colleges in the Southwest Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Oklahoma Christian University landed the #13 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in Edmond, Oklahoma, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 337 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at OC is 4.3 years, and it costs about $24,778 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the OC is $106,793. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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With a ranking of #14, West Texas A&M University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the Southwest Region list. West Texas A&M University is located in Canyon, Texas and has a medium-sized student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 1,746 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes about 4.4 years for the average student at West Texas A&M University to complete their degree, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $18,539. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from West Texas A&M University is about $81,942. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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University of St. Thomas landed the #14 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Southwest Region ranking. UST is located in Houston, Texas and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 329 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes the average student at UST about 4.5 years to graduate, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $30,535. This means that the average student pays around $136,797 to get a bachelor’s degree from UST. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UST also is in the top 15% of our Best Colleges in the Southwest Region ranking.
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Sam Houston State University did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #16. Sam Houston State University is a large public school located in Huntsville, Texas that handed out 4,343 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at SHSU is 4.5 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $24,633. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from SHSU be around $111,587. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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University of Dallas ranked #17 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in the Southwest Region list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Irving, Texas, and it awarded 353 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Udallas is 4.1 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $34,581. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Udallas is $141,090. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Udallas also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges in the Southwest Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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With a ranking of #18, Arizona State University - West did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the Southwest Region list. Located in Glendale, Arizona, the small public school awarded 932 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
At ASU - West, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.2 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $33,408. This means that the average student pays around $141,316 to get a bachelor’s degree from ASU - West. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. In addition to its great value ranking, ASU - West is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Colleges in the Southwest Region list.
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The University of Texas of the Permian Basin came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the Southwest Region ranking. The University of Texas of the Permian Basin is a medium-sized public school located in Odessa, Texas that handed out 910 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at UT Permian Basin is 4.6 years, and it costs about $19,358 per year to attend the school. This means that the average student pays around $88,660 to get a bachelor’s degree from UT Permian Basin. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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University of Oklahoma Norman Campus ranked #20 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in the Southwest Region list. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a large public school located in Norman, Oklahoma that handed out 4,805 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At University of Oklahoma, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.5 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $32,986. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from University of Oklahoma is about $146,788. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The low student loan default rate of 4.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. In addition to its great value ranking, University of Oklahoma is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges in the Southwest Region list.
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The University of Texas at San Antonio came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the Southwest Region ranking. San Antonio, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 5,655 students in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.7 years for the average student at UTSA to complete their degree, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $22,811. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from UTSA is about $107,212. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the Southwest Region ranking. USAO is a public institution located in Chickasha, Oklahoma. The school has a small population, and it awarded 153 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at USAO graduates in less than 4.4 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $17,665. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from USAO be around $77,549. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #23 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in the Southwest Region list. Located in Tempe, Arizona, the large public school handed out 10,401 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At ASU - Tempe, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.3 years, and it costs about $34,786 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the ASU - Tempe is $149,580. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. On top of its placing in our value rankings, ASU - Tempe also did well on our Best Colleges in the Southwest Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Oklahoma Baptist University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the Southwest Region ranking. Oklahoma Baptist University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Shawnee, Oklahoma that handed out 368 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At OBU, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.2 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $25,252. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the OBU is $106,816. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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Hardin - Simmons University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in the Southwest Region list. Hardin - Simmons is located in Abilene, Texas and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 381 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Hardin - Simmons is 4.3 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $28,502. This means that the average student pays around $122,274 to get a bachelor’s degree from Hardin - Simmons. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- For our state-specific rankings, we use in-state tuition to calculate average cost. For our national and regional rankings, we use a weighted average of in-state and non-resident tuition.
References
- 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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