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2026 Best Value General Master’s Degree Schools

[General](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/climate-science/general/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 14 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Master’s Degree General Schools
• Other Degree Levels

2026 Best Value General Schools in the United States

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value General Schools

1

Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ

$12,619 In-State Tuition & Fees

$21,645 Avg Student Debt

$54,384 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is Northern Arizona University, our #1 best value for general in the United States. Located in the city of Flagstaff, Northern Arizona University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,619, while out-of-state students pay about $20,044. Students borrow a median of $21,645 to complete the general program here. General graduates of Northern Arizona University earn a median of $47,056 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.

2

Columbia University In The City Of New York
New York, NY

$70,517 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,258 Avg Student Debt

$102,491 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in general will find it at Columbia University In The City Of New York, which ranked #2. Located in the city of New York, Columbia University In The City Of New York is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $70,517. Students borrow a median of $23,258 to complete the general program here. Early-career general graduates make about $86,770. That is a strong return on a $23,258 median debt. Columbia University In The City Of New York admits about 4% of applicants.

Other General Degree Levels

Explore the best-value general schools at other degree levels:

View All General Rankings >

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 · 14 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.