2026 Best Value General Education Schools in Arizona
[General Education](/majors/education/general-education/education-general/) 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 11 schools to find the best return on investment for general education students.
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2026 Best Value General Education Schools in Arizona
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Education Schools
Our analysis ranked Arizona State University the best value for a degree in general education in Arizona. Located in the city of Tempe, Arizona State University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $12,223, compared with $33,139 for out-of-state students. General Education graduates carry a median of $21,842 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Arizona State University generally make around $93,670. That is a strong return on a $21,842 median debt. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Mohave Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general education, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the rural area of Kingman, Mohave Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,208, with out-of-state students paying around $7,968. Students borrow a median of $14,766 to complete the general education program here. General Education graduates of Mohave Community College earn a median of $54,785 early in their careers. Set against $14,766 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in general education will find it at American Intercontinental University Online, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Chandler, American Intercontinental University Online is a very large private for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $12,397. Students borrow a median of $39,107 to complete the general education program here. General Education graduates of American Intercontinental University Online earn a median of $43,008 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $39,107 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in general education will find it at University Of Arizona, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Tucson, University Of Arizona is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,573, with out-of-state students paying around $39,903. General Education graduates carry a median of $21,861 in student loans. General Education graduates of University Of Arizona earn a median of $50,537 early in their careers. Set against $21,861 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Arizona admits about 86% of applicants.
Prescott College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general education, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Prescott, Prescott College is a small private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $34,490. Typical student debt for general education graduates is $27,230. General Education graduates of Prescott College earn a median of $42,966 early in their careers. Set against $27,230 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 94%.
More General Education Rankings
View All General Education Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
