2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Southwest Region

[Value](/majors/engineering-technologies/mechanical-engineering-technology/marine-engineering/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 1 schools to find the best return on investment for value students.
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2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Southwest 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
Texas A And M University College Station earned the #1 spot for value among value schools in the Southwest Region. Located in the city of College Station, Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,995, with out-of-state students paying around $40,124. Typical student debt for value graduates is $20,031. Value graduates of Texas A And M University College Station earn a median of $64,891 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $20,031 median debt. Texas A And M University College Station admits about 57% of applicants.
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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 · 1 school evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
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