2026 Best Value Value Schools in the The Plains States Region
[Value](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/geography-and-environmental-studies/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
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:
2026 Best Value Value Schools in the The Plains States Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the value degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Value Schools
University Of Kansas tops our 2026 list of the best value value schools in the The Plains States Region. Set in the city of Lawrence, University Of Kansas is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,102, with out-of-state students paying around $30,432. Typical student debt for value graduates is $23,608. Early-career value graduates make about $56,289. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 94%.
A rank of #2 makes South Dakota State University one of the best values for value. Set in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,299 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $12,809. Typical student debt for value graduates is $24,989. Early-career value graduates make about $51,260. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 98%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Minnesota Duluth earned it the #3 place for value. Set in the city of Duluth, University Of Minnesota Duluth is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,608, compared with $20,134 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for value graduates is $24,624. Early-career value graduates make about $46,572. Set against $24,624 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 89%.
Macalester College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value value schools. Set in the city of Saint Paul, Macalester College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $68,104 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $22,147 to complete the value program here. Value graduates of Macalester College earn a median of $42,517 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,147 median debt. Roughly 28% of applicants are accepted.
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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 · 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.
