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2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Southwest Region

[Value](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/geography-and-environmental-studies/general/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for value students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Value Schools in the Southwest Region

2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Southwest Region

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

Best Value Value Schools

1

University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus
Norman, OK

$9,797 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,138 Avg Student Debt

$63,126 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus, our #1 best value for value in the Southwest Region. Set in the suburb of Norman, University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,797 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $27,377. Typical student debt for value graduates is $23,138. Value graduates of University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus earn a median of $58,084 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.

2

Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX

$11,852 In-State Tuition & Fees

$24,271 Avg Student Debt

$62,454 Median Earnings (10yr)

Texas Tech University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in value, landing the #2 spot this year. Texas Tech University is a very large public school located in the city of Lubbock. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,852, while out-of-state students pay about $24,157. Typical student debt for value graduates is $24,271. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from Texas Tech University generally make around $50,332. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 73%.

View All Value Rankings >

Notes and References

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 · 7 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.