2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
[Value](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/veterinary-medicine/) 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 4 schools to find the best return on investment for value students.
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2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in value, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Value Schools
University Of Maryland College Park tops our 2026 list of the best value value schools in the Middle Atlantic Region. Located in the suburb of College Park, University Of Maryland College Park is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $11,809 in tuition and fees, compared with $41,186 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for value graduates is $20,836. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from University Of Maryland College Park generally make around $57,901. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Maryland College Park admits about 45% of applicants.
Long Island University C W Post Campus came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value value schools. Set in the suburb of Brookville, Long Island University C W Post Campus is a large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $42,432. Typical student debt for value graduates is $25,211. Early-career value graduates make about $61,547. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Pennsylvania is a great value for students pursuing a degree in value, landing the #3 spot this year. University Of Pennsylvania is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,686. Typical student debt for value graduates is $16,155. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from University Of Pennsylvania generally make around $100,273. Set against $16,155 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 5% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Cornell University earned it the #4 place for value. Set in the city of Ithaca, Cornell University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $69,314. Students borrow a median of $15,005 to complete the value program here. Value graduates of Cornell University earn a median of $100,161 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 9%.
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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 · 4 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.
