by our College Data Analytics Team
[Value](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/agriculture-veterinary-prep/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for value students.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the value degrees they offer, see the list below.
University Of Arizona earned the #1 spot for value among value schools in the Southwest Region. Set in the city of Tucson, University Of Arizona is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,573, while out-of-state students pay about $39,903. Typical student debt for value graduates is $18,522. Early-career value graduates make about $30,988. That is a strong return on a $18,522 median debt. University Of Arizona admits about 86% of applicants.
This list is compiled 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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.