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2026 Best Value Value Schools in Minnesota

[Value](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/geography-and-environmental-studies/) 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 3 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for value students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Value Schools in Minnesota

2026 Best Value Value Schools in Minnesota

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

Best Value Value Schools

1

University Of Minnesota Duluth
Duluth, MN

$14,608 In-State Tuition & Fees

$24,624 Avg Student Debt

$62,616 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in value, no school beat University Of Minnesota Duluth this year. Located in the city of Duluth, University Of Minnesota Duluth is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $14,608 in tuition and fees, compared with $20,134 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,624 to complete the value program here. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from University Of Minnesota Duluth generally make around $46,572. Set against $24,624 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.

2

Macalester College
Saint Paul, MN

$68,104 In-State Tuition & Fees

$22,147 Avg Student Debt

$63,878 Median Earnings (10yr)

Macalester College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value value schools. Macalester College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Saint Paul. In-state tuition and fees average $68,104. Students borrow a median of $22,147 to complete the value program here. Early-career value graduates make about $42,517. That is a strong return on a $22,147 median debt. Roughly 28% of applicants are accepted.

View All Value Rankings >

Notes and References

This list is compiled 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 · 3 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.