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2026 Best Value Museum Studies Schools in the Southwest Region

[Museum Studies](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/museum-studies/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 12 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for museum studies students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Museum Studies Schools in the Southwest Region

2026 Best Value Museum Studies Schools in the Southwest Region

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the museum studies degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Museum Studies Schools

1

The University Of Texas At Austin
Austin, TX

$11,688 In-State Tuition & Fees

$21,275 Avg Student Debt

$75,121 Median Earnings (10yr)

Our analysis ranked The University Of Texas At Austin the best value for a degree in museum studies in the Southwest Region. The University Of Texas At Austin is a very large public school located in the city of Austin. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,688, compared with $44,908 for out-of-state students. Museum Studies graduates carry a median of $21,275 in student loans. Museum Studies graduates of The University Of Texas At Austin earn a median of $57,819 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 27% 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 museum studies, 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, with out-of-state students paying around $24,157. Museum Studies graduates carry a median of $24,271 in student loans. Soon after graduation, museum studies degree recipients from Texas Tech University generally make around $32,400. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 73% of applicants are accepted.

View All Museum Studies Rankings >

Notes and References

This list is compiled 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 · 12 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.