by our College Data Analytics Team
[Value](/majors/health-care-professions/bioethics-medical-ethics/nursing-education/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong value education at a price that pays off.
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:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in value, balancing cost against outcomes.
Our analysis ranked Saint Xavier University the best value for a degree in value in Illinois. Saint Xavier University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $38,945. Value graduates carry a median of $25,735 in student loans. Early-career value graduates make about $51,753. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value value schools. Located in the suburb of Edwardsville, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $12,092. Value graduates carry a median of $23,917 in student loans. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville generally make around $72,892. That is a strong return on a $23,917 median debt. The acceptance rate is 98%.
Chamberlain College Of Nursing Illinois came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value value schools. Chamberlain College Of Nursing Illinois is a very large private for-profit school located in the suburb of Addison. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $21,536. Typical student debt for value graduates is $39,146. Early-career value graduates make about $101,006. That is a strong return on a $39,146 median debt. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
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The ranking above is published 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 3 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.