2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Southwest Region
[Value](/majors/health-care-professions/bioethics-medical-ethics/medical-health-humanities/) 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 6 schools to find the best return on investment for value students.
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2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Southwest Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in value, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Value Schools
For return on investment in value, no school beat The University Of Texas At San Antonio this year. Set in the city of San Antonio, The University Of Texas At San Antonio is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,326, with out-of-state students paying around $22,249. Value graduates carry a median of $23,312 in student loans. Early-career value graduates make about $49,955. That is a strong return on a $23,312 median debt. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at The University Of Texas At Austin earned it the #2 place for value. Set in the city of Austin, The University Of Texas At Austin is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,688, compared with $44,908 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for value graduates is $21,275. Early-career value graduates make about $57,819. Set against $21,275 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 27%.
Students looking for strong value in value will find it at Baylor University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Waco, Baylor University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $58,100 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for value graduates is $23,928. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from Baylor University generally make around $49,888. Set against $23,928 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 51% of applicants are accepted.
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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 · 6 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.
