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2026 Best Value General Schools

[General](/majors/physical-sciences/physics-and-astronomy/general/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for general students.

What’s on this page:

• Customize Your Rankings
• Best Value General Schools List
• Narrow by Region

Finding the Best Value General School for You

The right general school can pay off for years to come. That is why we built our Best Value General Schools ranking. We score each school on the balance of tuition, student debt, and post-graduation earnings to surface the best value.

Read more about our methodology

Customize Your Rankings

We offer a number of rankings, including this Best Value General Schools list, to help you decide. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

Want to compare schools head to head? Try our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.

See how we build our rankings

2026 Best Value General Schools in the United States

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

Best Value General Schools

1

Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ

$12,619 In-State Tuition & Fees

$21,645 Avg Student Debt

$54,384 Median Earnings (10yr)

Northern Arizona University earned the #1 spot for value among general schools in the United States. Northern Arizona University is a very large public school located in the city of Flagstaff. In-state tuition and fees average $12,619, compared with $20,044 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,645 to complete the general program here. Soon after graduation, general degree recipients from Northern Arizona University generally make around $47,056. Set against $21,645 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 90%.

2

University Of Kentucky
Lexington, KY

$13,502 In-State Tuition & Fees

$24,094 Avg Student Debt

$59,025 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes University Of Kentucky one of the best values for general. Located in the city of Lexington, University Of Kentucky is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,502, while out-of-state students pay about $34,140. Students borrow a median of $24,094 to complete the general program here. General graduates of University Of Kentucky earn a median of $49,568 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 93%.

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General Related Rankings by Major

Explore other best-value rankings in majors related to General. See all related 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 · 5 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.