2026 Best Value Political Economy Schools in the Southeast Region
[Political Economy](/majors/social-sciences/political-science-and-government/political-economy/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value political economy schools.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Political Economy Schools in the Southeast Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the political economy degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Political Economy Schools
Leading the list is Rhodes College, our #1 best value for political economy in the Southeast Region. Rhodes College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Memphis. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $57,110. Political Economy graduates carry a median of $26,500 in student loans. Early-career political economy graduates make about $35,537. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Rhodes College admits about 50% of applicants.
Rollins College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in political economy, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Winter Park, Rollins College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $60,580. Typical student debt for political economy graduates is $25,362. Political Economy graduates of Rollins College earn a median of $36,309 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,362 median debt. Rollins College admits about 48% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in political economy will find it at Duke University, which ranked #3. Duke University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Durham. Students from in state pay about $68,758 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for political economy graduates is $14,016. Early-career political economy graduates make about $54,970. That is a strong return on a $14,016 median debt. Duke University admits about 6% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes Tulane University Of Louisiana one of the best values for political economy. Set in the city of New Orleans, Tulane University Of Louisiana is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,678. Political Economy graduates carry a median of $19,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, political economy degree recipients from Tulane University Of Louisiana generally make around $41,265. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 14%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 5 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.
