2026 Best Value Science, Technology & Society Schools in the Southeast Region
[Science, Technology & Society](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/science-technology-and-society/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong science, technology & society education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools to find the best return on investment for science, technology & society students.
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2026 Best Value Science, Technology & Society Schools in the Southeast Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in science, technology & society, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Science, Technology & Society Schools
Georgia Institute Of Technology Main Campus earned the #1 spot for value among science, technology & society schools in the Southeast Region. Georgia Institute Of Technology Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Atlanta. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,058, compared with $34,484 for out-of-state students. Science, Technology & Society graduates carry a median of $24,125 in student loans. Early-career science, technology & society graduates make about $40,297. Set against $24,125 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Georgia Institute Of Technology Main Campus admits about 14% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes North Carolina State University At Raleigh one of the best values for science, technology & society. Set in the city of Raleigh, North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,799, compared with $32,847 for out-of-state students. Science, Technology & Society graduates carry a median of $24,000 in student loans. Early-career science, technology & society graduates make about $43,150. Set against $24,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. North Carolina State University At Raleigh admits about 42% of applicants.
Vanderbilt University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value science, technology & society schools. Set in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt University is a large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $67,498. Typical student debt for science, technology & society graduates is $13,975. Science, Technology & Society graduates of Vanderbilt University earn a median of $77,997 early in their careers. Set against $13,975 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Vanderbilt University admits about 6% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at James Madison University earned it the #4 place for science, technology & society. Located in the city of Harrisonburg, James Madison University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $13,966 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $31,312. Science, Technology & Society graduates carry a median of $23,875 in student loans. Soon after graduation, science, technology & society degree recipients from James Madison University generally make around $54,235. Set against $23,875 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. James Madison University admits about 72% 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 · 12 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.
