Finding the Best Value International Education School for You
Where you study international education affects both what you pay and what you earn. That is why we built our Best Value International Education Schools ranking. We score each school on the balance of tuition, student debt, and post-graduation earnings to surface the best value.
See how we build our rankings
One Size Does Not Fit All
We offer a number of rankings, including this Best Value International Education 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.
Learn more about our methodology
2026 Best Value International Education Schools in the United States
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in international education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value International Education Schools
Duke University earned the #1 spot for value among international education schools in the United States. Set in the city of Durham, Duke University is a large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,758. Students borrow a median of $8,000 to complete the international education program here. Soon after graduation, international education degree recipients from Duke University generally make around $40,723. That is a strong return on a $8,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 6%.
New York University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in international education, landing the #2 spot this year. New York University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $62,796. Students borrow a median of $21,897 to complete the international education program here. International Education graduates of New York University earn a median of $64,516 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,897 median debt. Roughly 9% of applicants are accepted.
George Washington University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value international education schools. Set in the city of Washington, George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $67,710 in tuition and fees. International Education graduates carry a median of $22,910 in student loans. Soon after graduation, international education degree recipients from George Washington University generally make around $59,211. That is a strong return on a $22,910 median debt. The acceptance rate is 47%.
Endicott College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value international education schools. Endicott College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Beverly. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $40,650. Students borrow a median of $25,973 to complete the international education program here. Soon after graduation, international education degree recipients from Endicott College generally make around $55,361. Set against $25,973 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Endicott College admits about 71% of applicants.
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Notes and References
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 · 27 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
[International Education](/majors/education/international-education/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
