by our College Data Analytics Team
[Value](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/drama-and-theater-arts/theatre-and-dance/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong value education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 1 schools to find the best return on investment for value students.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the value degrees they offer, see the list below.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville tops our 2026 list of the best value value schools in Illinois. Located in the suburb of Edwardsville, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,092. Students borrow a median of $26,010 to complete the value program here. Early-career value graduates make about $16,892. That is a strong return on a $26,010 median debt. The acceptance rate is 98%.
The ranking above is published 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 · 1 school evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.