by our College Data Analytics Team
[General](/majors/health-care-professions/rehab-and-therapeutic-professions/general/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 8 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value general schools.
What’s on this page:
The right general school can pay off for years to come. To help, we created our Best Value General Schools ranking. We score each school on the balance of tuition, student debt, and post-graduation earnings to surface the best value.
Learn more about our methodology
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we offer several rankings, including this Best Value General Schools list, to help you choose. Want schools in a particular part of the country? Narrow the list by region or state.
Want to compare schools head to head? Try our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
Read more about College Factual’s methodology
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general, balancing cost against outcomes.
For return on investment in general, no school beat Troy University this year. Set in the town of Troy, Troy University is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,176, compared with $20,352 for out-of-state students. General graduates carry a median of $29,500 in student loans. Early-career general graduates make about $30,184. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 96% of applicants are accepted.
Prescott College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Prescott, Prescott College is a small private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $34,490. General graduates carry a median of $27,230 in student loans. General graduates of Prescott College earn a median of $42,966 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,230 median debt. The acceptance rate is 94%.
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Explore other best-value rankings in majors related to General. See all related rankings.
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 1 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.