by our College Data Analytics Team
[Finance](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/finance-financial-management/finance/) 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 10 schools to find the best return on investment for finance students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in finance, balancing cost against outcomes.
For return on investment in finance, no school beat Utah Valley University this year. Located in the city of Orem, Utah Valley University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $6,507 in tuition and fees, compared with $18,489 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for finance graduates is $12,750. Early-career finance graduates make about $60,947. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Western Governors University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value finance schools. Set in the suburb of Salt Lake City, Western Governors University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,658. Typical student debt for finance graduates is $23,277. Finance graduates of Western Governors University earn a median of $74,771 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,277 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Weber State University earned it the #3 place for finance. Located in the city of Ogden, Weber State University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $6,557, while out-of-state students pay about $17,545. Students borrow a median of $19,176 to complete the finance program here. Soon after graduation, finance degree recipients from Weber State University generally make around $49,939. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Southern Utah University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value finance schools. Located in the town of Cedar City, Southern Utah University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $6,962 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $21,192. Students borrow a median of $12,886 to complete the finance program here. Early-career finance graduates make about $44,998. That is a strong return on a $12,886 median debt. Southern Utah University admits about 82% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Utah State University earned it the #5 place for finance. Set in the city of Logan, Utah State University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,560, while out-of-state students pay about $24,993. Students borrow a median of $9,720 to complete the finance program here. Finance graduates of Utah State University earn a median of $61,371 early in their careers. Set against $9,720 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 92%.
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University Of Utah ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value finance schools. Set in the city of Salt Lake City, University Of Utah is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,620 in tuition and fees, compared with $30,860 for out-of-state students. Finance graduates carry a median of $18,850 in student loans. Soon after graduation, finance degree recipients from University Of Utah generally make around $68,066. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Utah admits about 86% of applicants.
Brigham Young University Provo earned the #7 position for value in finance this year. Brigham Young University Provo is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Provo. In-state tuition and fees average $6,688. Students borrow a median of $11,750 to complete the finance program here. Soon after graduation, finance degree recipients from Brigham Young University Provo generally make around $83,876. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 68%.
Dixie State College Of Utah landed the #8 spot for finance value this year. Located in the city of Saint George, Dixie State College Of Utah is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $6,306, compared with $18,246 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for finance graduates is $18,666. Early-career finance graduates make about $42,266. That is a strong return on a $18,666 median debt.
Westminster College Utah landed the #9 spot for finance value this year. Westminster College Utah is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Salt Lake City. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $43,528. Students borrow a median of $18,071 to complete the finance program here. Soon after graduation, finance degree recipients from Westminster College Utah generally make around $62,689. That is a strong return on a $18,071 median debt. Roughly 67% of applicants are accepted.
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 · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.