2026 Best Value Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing Schools in the New England Region
[Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/public-health-community-nurse-nursing/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for public health/community nurse/nursing students.
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2026 Best Value Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing Schools in the New England Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the public health/community nurse/nursing degrees they offer, see the list below.
Rhode Island College tops our 2026 list of the best value public health/community nurse/nursing schools in the New England Region. Set in the suburb of Providence, Rhode Island College is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $11,300 in tuition and fees, compared with $27,299 for out-of-state students. Public Health/community Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career public health/community nurse/nursing graduates make about $107,588. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 92%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Worcester State University earned it the #2 place for public health/community nurse/nursing. Located in the city of Worcester, Worcester State University is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,786, with out-of-state students paying around $17,866. Students borrow a median of $26,849 to complete the public health/community nurse/nursing program here. Early-career public health/community nurse/nursing graduates make about $45,297. Set against $26,849 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Students looking for strong value in public health/community nurse/nursing will find it at University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth, which ranked #3. Set in the suburb of North Dartmouth, University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,612, while out-of-state students pay about $32,567. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the public health/community nurse/nursing program here. Early-career public health/community nurse/nursing graduates make about $99,349. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Massachusetts Amherst is a great value for students pursuing a degree in public health/community nurse/nursing, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the city of Amherst, University Of Massachusetts Amherst is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $17,772 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $40,449. Students borrow a median of $29,548 to complete the public health/community nurse/nursing program here. Early-career public health/community nurse/nursing graduates make about $53,543. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 60% 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 · 4 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.
