[Performance And Sport](/majors/psychology/clinical-counseling-applied-psychology/performance-and-sport/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 19 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for performance and sport students.
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The performance and sport program you select can have a big impact on your finances and your future. To help, we created our Best Value Performance And Sport Schools ranking. We score each school on the balance of tuition, student debt, and post-graduation earnings to surface the best value.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
We offer a number of rankings, including this Best Value Performance And Sport Schools list, to help you decide. Want schools in a particular part of the country? Narrow the 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.
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Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in performance and sport, balancing cost against outcomes.
University Of Wisconsin Green Bay tops our 2026 list of the best value performance and sport schools in the United States. Located in the city of Green Bay, University Of Wisconsin Green Bay is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $8,700 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $17,288. Students borrow a median of $24,477 to complete the performance and sport program here. Performance And Sport graduates of University Of Wisconsin Green Bay earn a median of $42,853 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,477 median debt. University Of Wisconsin Green Bay admits about 89% of applicants.
University Of Kentucky is a great value for students pursuing a degree in performance and sport, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Lexington, University Of Kentucky is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $13,502 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $34,140. Students borrow a median of $24,094 to complete the performance and sport program here. Soon after graduation, performance and sport degree recipients from University Of Kentucky generally make around $72,289. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Kentucky admits about 93% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Pennsylvania Western University earned it the #3 place for performance and sport. Located in the town of California, Pennsylvania Western University is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,436, with out-of-state students paying around $16,054. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $47,295. Pennsylvania Western University admits about 94% of applicants.
Capella University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value performance and sport schools. Capella University is a very large private for-profit school located in the city of Minneapolis. Students from in state pay about $14,400 in tuition and fees. Performance And Sport graduates carry a median of $35,998 in student loans. Soon after graduation, performance and sport degree recipients from Capella University generally make around $57,897. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Kent State University At Kent earned it the #5 place for performance and sport. Located in the suburb of Kent, Kent State University At Kent is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $12,220 in tuition and fees, compared with $21,575 for out-of-state students. Performance And Sport graduates carry a median of $25,174 in student loans. Performance And Sport graduates of Kent State University At Kent earn a median of $44,776 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Kent State University At Kent admits about 86% of applicants.
Faulkner University came in at #6 for value in performance and sport this year. Located in the city of Montgomery, Faulkner University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $23,920. Performance And Sport graduates carry a median of $27,691 in student loans. Performance And Sport graduates of Faulkner University earn a median of $26,988 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 73%.
California Baptist University placed #7 among the best values for performance and sport. Set in the city of Riverside, California Baptist University is a large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $41,228. Performance And Sport graduates carry a median of $28,169 in student loans. Performance And Sport graduates of California Baptist University earn a median of $55,299 early in their careers. Set against $28,169 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
National University landed the #8 spot for performance and sport value this year. Set in the city of San Diego, National University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,284. Performance And Sport graduates carry a median of $30,426 in student loans. Performance And Sport graduates of National University earn a median of $57,834 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $30,426 median debt.
Dominican University Of California earned the #9 position for value in performance and sport this year. Dominican University Of California is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Rafael. In-state tuition and fees average $52,161. Performance And Sport graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Performance And Sport graduates of Dominican University Of California earn a median of $34,509 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 84%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 19 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
