2026 Best Value Nursing Science Schools in Georgia

[Nursing Science](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/nursing-science/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for nursing science students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Nursing Science Schools in Georgia
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the nursing science degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Nursing Science Schools
For return on investment in nursing science, no school beat Augusta University this year. Located in the city of Augusta, Augusta University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,414, with out-of-state students paying around $24,734. Students borrow a median of $22,956 to complete the nursing science program here. Soon after graduation, nursing science degree recipients from Augusta University generally make around $84,840. That is a strong return on a $22,956 median debt. The acceptance rate is 86%.
A rank of #2 makes Georgia State University one of the best values for nursing science. Located in the city of Atlanta, Georgia State University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $8,664 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $24,840. Students borrow a median of $28,215 to complete the nursing science program here. Early-career nursing science graduates make about $94,620. That is a strong return on a $28,215 median debt. Roughly 55% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Georgia Southern University one of the best values for nursing science. Georgia Southern University is a very large public school located in the town of Statesboro. In-state tuition and fees average $6,022, while out-of-state students pay about $17,734. Typical student debt for nursing science graduates is $27,277. Early-career nursing science graduates make about $45,531. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Mercer University earned it the #4 place for nursing science. Set in the city of Macon, Mercer University is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $31,565. Typical student debt for nursing science graduates is $29,161. Nursing Science graduates of Mercer University earn a median of $98,345 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $29,161 median debt. Roughly 69% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in nursing science will find it at Emory University, which ranked #5. Emory University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Atlanta. Students from in state pay about $64,280 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for nursing science graduates is $25,000. Early-career nursing science graduates make about $98,673. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. Emory University admits about 11% of applicants.
More Nursing Science Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.