---

2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region

[Value](/majors/health-care-professions/bioethics-medical-ethics/nursing-education/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find the best return on investment for value students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Value Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region

2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Rocky Mountains 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

Western Governors University
Salt Lake City, UT

$8,658 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,277 Avg Student Debt

$60,615 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in value, no school beat Western Governors University this year. Western Governors University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Salt Lake City. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,658. Students borrow a median of $23,277 to complete the value program here. Early-career value graduates make about $74,771. Set against $23,277 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.

2

Regis University
Denver, CO

$28,140 In-State Tuition & Fees

$31,773 Avg Student Debt

$72,105 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes Regis University one of the best values for value. Regis University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Denver. In-state tuition and fees average $28,140. Value graduates carry a median of $31,773 in student loans. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from Regis University generally make around $89,979. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 86%.

View All Value 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 · 9 schools 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.