2026 Best Value Educational Psychology Schools in the Southwest Region
[Educational Psychology](/majors/psychology/clinical-counseling-applied-psychology/educational-psychology/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 17 schools to find the best return on investment for educational psychology students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Educational Psychology Schools in the Southwest Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the educational psychology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Educational Psychology Schools
For return on investment in educational psychology, no school beat The University Of Texas At San Antonio this year. Set in the city of San Antonio, The University Of Texas At San Antonio is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,326, with out-of-state students paying around $22,249. Typical student debt for educational psychology graduates is $23,312. Early-career educational psychology graduates make about $62,131. Set against $23,312 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Arizona State University earned it the #2 place for educational psychology. Located in the city of Tempe, Arizona State University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $12,223, compared with $33,139 for out-of-state students. Educational Psychology graduates carry a median of $21,842 in student loans. Early-career educational psychology graduates make about $69,344. That is a strong return on a $21,842 median debt. Arizona State University admits about 90% of applicants.
University Of Houston is a great value for students pursuing a degree in educational psychology, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Houston, University Of Houston is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,717, compared with $22,547 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for educational psychology graduates is $21,255. Early-career educational psychology graduates make about $77,167. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 74%.
University Of North Texas came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value educational psychology schools. University Of North Texas is a very large public school located in the city of Denton. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,309, while out-of-state students pay about $21,149. Educational Psychology graduates carry a median of $19,583 in student loans. Early-career educational psychology graduates make about $58,758. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 72%.
A rank of #5 makes Northern Arizona University one of the best values for educational psychology. Located in the city of Flagstaff, Northern Arizona University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,619, compared with $20,044 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,645 to complete the educational psychology program here. Soon after graduation, educational psychology degree recipients from Northern Arizona University generally make around $62,275. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 90%.
The University Of Texas At Arlington ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value educational psychology schools. Set in the city of Arlington, The University Of Texas At Arlington is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,950, with out-of-state students paying around $29,582. Typical student debt for educational psychology graduates is $21,632. Early-career educational psychology graduates make about $55,304. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Arizona earned the #7 position for value in educational psychology this year. Located in the city of Tucson, University Of Arizona is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,573, compared with $39,903 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,861 to complete the educational psychology program here. Soon after graduation, educational psychology degree recipients from University Of Arizona generally make around $66,909. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Oklahoma State University Main Campus earned the #8 position for value in educational psychology this year. Oklahoma State University Main Campus is a very large public school located in the town of Stillwater. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,110, with out-of-state students paying around $25,630. Educational Psychology graduates carry a median of $22,337 in student loans. Soon after graduation, educational psychology degree recipients from Oklahoma State University Main Campus generally make around $72,775. Set against $22,337 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 75%.
University Of New Mexico Main Campus earned the #9 position for value in educational psychology this year. Located in the city of Albuquerque, University Of New Mexico Main Campus is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,140, while out-of-state students pay about $33,060. Typical student debt for educational psychology graduates is $19,738. Educational Psychology graduates of University Of New Mexico Main Campus earn a median of $49,983 early in their careers. Set against $19,738 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of New Mexico Main Campus admits about 95% of applicants.
The University Of Texas At Austin ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value educational psychology schools. Located in the city of Austin, The University Of Texas At Austin is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,688, compared with $44,908 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for educational psychology graduates is $21,275. Early-career educational psychology graduates make about $58,860. That is a strong return on a $21,275 median debt. The University Of Texas At Austin admits about 27% of applicants.
Texas Tech University earned the #11 position for value in educational psychology this year. Located in the city of Lubbock, Texas Tech University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,852, compared with $24,157 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for educational psychology graduates is $24,271. Soon after graduation, educational psychology degree recipients from Texas Tech University generally make around $69,689. That is a strong return on a $24,271 median debt. Texas Tech University admits about 73% of applicants.
Texas A And M University College Station ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best value educational psychology schools. Located in the city of College Station, Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,995, while out-of-state students pay about $40,124. Typical student debt for educational psychology graduates is $20,031. Educational Psychology graduates of Texas A And M University College Station earn a median of $67,722 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $20,031 median debt. The acceptance rate is 57%.
Baylor University placed #13 among the best values for educational psychology. Baylor University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Waco. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $58,100. Students borrow a median of $23,928 to complete the educational psychology program here. Early-career educational psychology graduates make about $58,663. That is a strong return on a $23,928 median debt. The acceptance rate is 51%.
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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 · 17 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 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.
