2026 Best Value Medical Science Schools in the Southeast Region

[Medical Science](/majors/health-care-professions/medical-science/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong medical science education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 20 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for medical science students.
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2026 Best Value Medical Science Schools in the Southeast Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in medical science, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Medical Science Schools
For return on investment in medical science, no school beat Vanderbilt University this year. 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. Medical Science graduates carry a median of $13,975 in student loans. Soon after graduation, medical science degree recipients from Vanderbilt University generally make around $77,997. Set against $13,975 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 6% of applicants are accepted.
Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value medical science schools. Set in the city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,954, while out-of-state students pay about $28,631. Typical student debt for medical science graduates is $21,348. Soon after graduation, medical science degree recipients from Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College generally make around $49,718. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 73%.
Students looking for strong value in medical science will find it at Clemson University, which ranked #3. Located in the suburb of Clemson, Clemson University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,554, compared with $40,866 for out-of-state students. Medical Science graduates carry a median of $23,783 in student loans. Soon after graduation, medical science degree recipients from Clemson University generally make around $53,834. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Clemson University admits about 38% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes Emory University one of the best values for medical science. Located in the city of Atlanta, Emory University is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $64,280 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for medical science graduates is $19,431. Early-career medical science graduates make about $188,661. Set against $19,431 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 11%.
Students looking for strong value in medical science will find it at Jacksonville University, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Jacksonville, Jacksonville University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $48,150. Typical student debt for medical science graduates is $25,619. Soon after graduation, medical science degree recipients from Jacksonville University generally make around $72,608. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 57% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Miami earned the #6 position for value in medical science this year. University Of Miami is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Coral Gables. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $62,616. Medical Science graduates carry a median of $17,750 in student loans. Early-career medical science graduates make about $57,234. Set against $17,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 19% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 20 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.