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Best College Values

Helping You Find the Best Colleges at the Best Price

Welcome to BestCollegeValues.com, an online resource for prospective college students seeking an education worth its cost.   Best College Values strives to provide the most comprehensive and rigorously researched set of online resources on the intersections of college affordability, educational quality, and educational outcomes so that individuals pursuing higher education can make informed decisions about what to study and where to study it.

Our resources include rankings on top value residential programs of study in general disciplines such as education, business, nursing, etc., as well as shorter more detailed rankings of online programs of study in more specific areas such as curriculum & instruction, accountancy, gerontology, etc. In addition to these numbered rankings, our FAQ section provides well researched answers to common questions regarding college values, the admission process, financial aid, and more.

To get started you can read our FAQ “What makes a college a good value?” to find out more about how we think about college value, or take a look at “How important are college rankings?” to get a better sense of how resources like our rankings can be effectively used.

Why Best College Values?

While publications such as U.S. News and World Report provide a range of detailed rankings of colleges and universities that include rankings by discipline, these rankings are heavily weighted to favor academic quality and prestige. The high cost of many of these top schools prohibits the average person from enrolling in them.  While we believe that U.S. News’ and similar publications’ college rankings are valuable indicators of schools’ academic performance and reputations, we also believe that for the average prospective student seeking an education that will prepare them to enter the workforce, a number of other factors ought to be considered more heavily.  Best College Values is thus dedicated to producing rankings of undergraduate and graduate level programs that are built on composite scores based off of affordability, financial outcomes post graduation, and institutional reputation.  We believe these rankings highlight the colleges and universities where students will be able to earn a degree that strikes a balance between all three factors.  These are the Best College Values.

Determining “Value”

When we refer to “value,” we recognize that what makes a college education valuable is a shifting terrain.  While it is not exactly possible to quantify the value of higher education as it certainly still includes things like intellectual formation, the development of coherent views of the world and society, building meaningful relationships with peers and faculty mentors, and self-discovery, today, these values, while important, are being increasingly outmoded by the need for training of professionals for the increasingly complex tasks of the 21st century workforce.

At a time when the cost of a college education is higher than it has ever been and an increasing number of secure and decent paying jobs demand that competitive candidates possess a degree from a reputable school, it is more important than ever to know what you are getting for what you are paying into your education.  So while “value” cannot necessarily be objectively defined, there are objective factors that can be assessed.  Our rankings are built to do just that.  By aggregating publicly available data on institutional reputation, tuition costs, return on investment, graduation rates, and cohort default rates, we give prospective students a well rounded, objective picture of where they can get the best education for the best price.

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bestcollegevalues.com is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

2016 Best College Values Awards

  • 50 Best Value Bachelor’s in Nursing
  • 50 Best Value Master’s of Nursing
  • 50 Best Value Bachelor’s in Engineering
  • 50 Best Value Master’s in Engineering
  • 50 Best Value Bachelor’s in Education
  • 50 Best Value Master’s in Education
  • 50 Best Value Master’s in Business
  • 50 Best Value Bachelor’s in Business

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Do I have to reapply for financial aid every year?
  • How do I find out what scholarships are available for me?
  • What is the difference between a subsidized and unsubsidized loan?
  • Can undocumented immigrants receive financial aid?
  • How does financial aid work if my parents are divorced?
  • Is financial aid available for homeschooled students?
  • What is the FAFSA and where do I find it?
  • Do I need to know which school I will attend before I apply for financial aid?
  • What are the different types of financial aid available?
  • How do I know if I qualify for financial aid?
  • Should I go to community college first?
  • Would an online college be good for me?
  • How early should I start looking at colleges?
  • How important are college rankings?

Featured Articles

  • Most Affordable College in Each State

Best College Values Awards (Residential)

  • 50 Best Value Bachelor’s in Nursing
  • 50 Best Value Master’s of Nursing
  • 50 Best Value Bachelor’s in Engineering
  • 50 Best Value Master’s in Engineering
  • 50 Best Value Bachelor’s in Education
  • 50 Best Value Master’s in Education
  • 50 Best Value Master’s in Business
  • 50 Best Value Bachelor’s in Business

Best College Values Awards (Online)

  • 25 Best Value Online Masters of Education—Administration and Leadership
  • 25 Best Value Online Masters of Education—Curriculum & Instruction
  • 25 Best Value Online Masters of Education—Special Education
  • 15 Best Value Online Masters of Education—School Counseling and Psychology
  • 30 Best Value Online Master’s of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering
  • 10 Best Value Online Master’s of Engineering in Chemical Engineering
  • 10 Best Value Online Master’s of Engineering in Biomedical & Bioengineering
  • 25 Best Value Online Master’s of Engineering in Civil Engineering
  • 25 Best Value Online Master’s of Engineering in Electrical Engineering
  • 25 Best Value Online Master’s of Engineering in Aerospace Engineering & Aviation
  • 10 Best Value Online Master’s of Engineering in Nuclear Engineering

Online Affordability Rankings

  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Special Education 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Business Administration 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Social Work 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Communications 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Psychology 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Forensic Psychology 2017
  • Top 10 Affordable Online Master’s Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Master’s Degrees in Educational Psychology 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Nursing 2016
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in General Psychology 2016
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master of Social Work degrees 2016
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master of Early Childhood Studies degrees 2016
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Supply Chain or Operations Management 2016
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Elementary Education 2016
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Marketing 2016
  • Top 10 Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Reading and Literacy Education 2016
  • Top 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in International Business 2016
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Early Childhood Education 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Public Administration 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Criminal Justice 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Software Engineering

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Do I have to reapply for financial aid every year?
  • How do I find out what scholarships are available for me?
  • What is the difference between a subsidized and unsubsidized loan?
  • Can undocumented immigrants receive financial aid?
  • How does financial aid work if my parents are divorced?
  • Is financial aid available for homeschooled students?
  • What is the FAFSA and where do I find it?
  • Do I need to know which school I will attend before I apply for financial aid?
  • What are the different types of financial aid available?
  • How do I know if I qualify for financial aid?
  • Should I go to community college first?
  • Would an online college be good for me?
  • How early should I start looking at colleges?
  • How important are college rankings?

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