2027 Best Value Political Economy Schools in the Southeast Region
[Political Economy](/majors/social-sciences/political-science-and-government/political-economy/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for political economy students.
What’s on this page:
2027 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
Ave Maria University earned the #1 spot for value among political economy schools in the Southeast Region. Set in the rural area of Ave Maria, Ave Maria University is a small private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $30,198. Typical student debt for political economy graduates is $19,801. Soon after graduation, political economy degree recipients from Ave Maria University generally make around $40,866. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Ave Maria University admits about 41% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes Rhodes College one of the best values for political economy. Set in the city of Memphis, Rhodes College is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $57,110. Typical student debt for political economy graduates is $26,500. Soon after graduation, political economy degree recipients from Rhodes College generally make around $35,537. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 50%.
A rank of #3 makes Duke University one of the best values for political economy. Set in the city of Durham, Duke University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,758. Political Economy graduates carry a median of $14,016 in student loans. Early-career political economy graduates make about $54,970. Set against $14,016 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 6% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #4 makes Rollins College one of the best values for political economy. Rollins College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Winter Park. Students from in state pay about $60,580 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for political economy graduates is $25,362. Early-career political economy graduates make about $36,309. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Rollins College admits about 48% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Tulane University Of Louisiana earned it the #5 place for political economy. Tulane University Of Louisiana is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New Orleans. In-state tuition and fees average $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. Set against $19,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Tulane University Of Louisiana admits about 14% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 5 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.
