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2026 Best Value Value Schools in the The Plains States Region

[Value](/majors/communication-journalism-media/public-relations-advertising/communication-management-and-strategic-communications/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for value students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Value Schools in the The Plains States Region

2026 Best Value Value Schools in the The Plains States Region

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the value degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Value Schools

1

University Of Minnesota Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN

$17,214 In-State Tuition & Fees

$21,577 Avg Student Debt

$69,020 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is University Of Minnesota Twin Cities, our #1 best value for value in the The Plains States Region. Set in the city of Minneapolis, University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $17,214, compared with $38,362 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,577 to complete the value program here. Value graduates of University Of Minnesota Twin Cities earn a median of $56,395 early in their careers. Set against $21,577 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 80%.

2

Webster University
Saint Louis, MO

$31,750 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,939 Avg Student Debt

$50,876 Median Earnings (10yr)

Webster University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value value schools. Set in the suburb of Saint Louis, Webster University is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $31,750. Students borrow a median of $25,939 to complete the value program here. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from Webster University generally make around $46,618. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.

View All Value Rankings >

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 · 8 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.