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2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Southeast Region

[Value](/majors/engineering/electrical-and-computer-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 4 schools to find the best return on investment for value students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Value Schools in the Southeast Region

2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Southeast 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 Alabama At Birmingham
Birmingham, AL

$9,098 In-State Tuition & Fees

$26,162 Avg Student Debt

$54,501 Median Earnings (10yr)

University Of Alabama At Birmingham tops our 2026 list of the best value value schools in the Southeast Region. University Of Alabama At Birmingham is a very large public school located in the city of Birmingham. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,098, with out-of-state students paying around $22,562. Typical student debt for value graduates is $26,162. Early-career value graduates make about $55,413. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Alabama At Birmingham admits about 88% of applicants.

2

Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN

$67,498 In-State Tuition & Fees

$13,975 Avg Student Debt

$91,565 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in value will find it at Vanderbilt University, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $67,498 in tuition and fees. Value graduates carry a median of $13,975 in student loans. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from Vanderbilt University generally make around $77,997. Set against $13,975 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 6%.

View All Value Rankings >

Notes and References

This list is compiled 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.