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2026 Best Value Applied & Professional Ethics Master’s Degree Schools

[Applied & Professional Ethics](/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/applied-and-professional-ethics/) 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 44 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for applied & professional ethics students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Master’s Degree Applied & Professional Ethics Schools
• Other Degree Levels

2026 Best Value Applied & Professional Ethics Schools in the United States

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the applied & professional ethics degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Applied & Professional Ethics Schools

1

Johnson University
Knoxville, TN

$21,122 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,819 Avg Student Debt

$40,596 Median Earnings (10yr)

Johnson University tops our 2026 list of the best value applied & professional ethics schools in the United States. Located in the rural area of Knoxville, Johnson University is a small private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $21,122. Applied & Professional Ethics graduates carry a median of $23,819 in student loans. Soon after graduation, applied & professional ethics degree recipients from Johnson University generally make around $34,290. That is a strong return on a $23,819 median debt. Roughly 65% of applicants are accepted.

2

American University
Washington, DC

$58,771 In-State Tuition & Fees

$24,139 Avg Student Debt

$77,370 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in applied & professional ethics will find it at American University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Washington, American University is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $58,771. Applied & Professional Ethics graduates carry a median of $24,139 in student loans. Applied & Professional Ethics graduates of American University earn a median of $58,030 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,139 median debt. American University admits about 62% of applicants.

Other Applied & Professional Ethics Degree Levels

Looking for a different degree level? Compare best-value Applied & Professional Ethics rankings across degree levels:

View All Applied & Professional Ethics Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published 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 · 44 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.