by our College Data Analytics TeamIt's not easy to decide which school to attend when you have so many options available. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our Best Master's Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking is part of that endeavor. This list may shock you as many typically expensive schools are very generous with need-based financial aid.
See What's Included in This Value Report:
We analyzed 276 schools across the Southeast Region to determine which have the best value Master's Degree programs. To come up with this ranking of the best value schools, we look at factors that are all objective measurements. More specifically, the following explains what we consider and why.
When determining the value of a school in our Best Master's Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking, we first look at its average net price of a student coming from a family that makes $0-$30k a year. The net price is defined as the sum of room and board, tuition, and fees minus any financial aid that the student receives. But, a school that excels in providing value for your money must also be a great school overall as well.
To take this into account we consider a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
To learn more, visit our best value ranking methodology page.
Keep scrolling for the top schools in this ranking or select one of the other rankings methods below.
If you know what major you want to study, check out our list of the best value schools by major. If you're interested in other degree levels, you can view one of the lists below.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Duke University tops this year’s ranking as the best value (income $0-$30k) school for master’s degrees in the Southeast Region for overall quality. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Duke University has the honor of being ranked #1 in North Carolina for overall quality on top of being a good value.
Out of the 276 master’s degree schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #2 spot on the list. UF is located in Gainesville, Florida and has a large student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Florida is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Florida.
Out of the 276 master’s degree schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #3 spot on the list. Vanderbilt University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in Nashville, Tennessee.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Vanderbilt University is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Tennessee.
A rank of #4 on our Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list means Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is a great place for students working on their degree. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, the school is a large public institution.
Not only is Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus a great value, but it is also ranked #1 in Georgia for overall quality.
Learn More About Value at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus
The quality degree programs at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large public school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has the honor of being ranked #2 in North Carolina for overall quality on top of being a good value.
Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Value Report
With a ranking of #6, Emory University did quite well on the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Atlanta, Georgia.
Not only is Emory University a great value, but it is also ranked #2 in Georgia for overall quality.
Florida International University landed the #7 spot on the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking. This large public school is located in Miami, Florida.
Not only is Florida International University a great value, but it is also ranked #5 in Florida for overall quality.
William & Mary ranked #8 on this year’s Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school situated in Williamsburg, Virginia.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, William & Mary is ranked #4 for quality in the state of Virginia.
With a ranking of #9, North Carolina State University did quite well on the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. NC State is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and has a large student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, North Carolina State University is ranked #3 for quality in the state of North Carolina.
Northern Kentucky University landed the #10 spot on the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking. Northern Kentucky University is a fairly large public school located in Highland Heights, Kentucky.
Not only is Northern Kentucky University a great value, but it is also ranked #4 in Kentucky for overall quality.
With a ranking of #11, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Virginia - Main Campus is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Virginia.
Read full value report on University of Virginia - Main Campus
Florida State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. Florida State is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida.
Not only is Florida State University a great value, but it is also ranked #3 in Florida for overall quality.
Wake Forest University landed the #13 spot on the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking. Winston-Salem, North Carolina is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Wake Forest University is ranked #4 for quality in the state of North Carolina.
With a ranking of #14, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Not only is University of South Florida - Main Campus a great value, but it is also ranked #9 in Florida for overall quality.
Read full value report on University of South Florida - Main Campus
University of Central Florida came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking. UCF is a public institution located in Orlando, Florida.
University of Central Florida has the honor of being ranked #8 in Florida for overall quality on top of being a good value.
University of Georgia did quite well in the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #16. UGA is a large public school situated in Athens, Georgia.
University of Georgia has the honor of being ranked #3 in Georgia for overall quality on top of being a good value.
Florida Atlantic University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. Florida Atlantic University is a large public school located in Boca Raton, Florida.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Florida Atlantic University is ranked #12 for quality in the state of Florida.
Virginia Tech landed the #18 spot on the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking. Virginia Tech is a large public school situated in Blacksburg, Virginia.
Not only is Virginia Tech a great value, but it is also ranked #2 in Virginia for overall quality.
University of North Florida did quite well in the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #19. This fairly large public school is located in Jacksonville, Florida.
University of North Florida has the honor of being ranked #15 in Florida for overall quality on top of being a good value.
With a ranking of #20, The University of West Florida did quite well on the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. This fairly large public school is located in Pensacola, Florida.
Not only is The University of West Florida a great value, but it is also ranked #14 in Florida for overall quality.
University of Mississippi did quite well in the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #21. Ole Miss is a large public school situated in University, Mississippi.
Not only is University of Mississippi a great value, but it is also ranked #2 in Mississippi for overall quality.
With a ranking of #22, Sewanee - The University of the South did quite well on the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. Sewanee is a private not-for-profit institution located in Sewanee, Tennessee.
Not only is Sewanee - The University of the South a great value, but it is also ranked #2 in Tennessee for overall quality.
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville ranked #23 on this year’s Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. UT Knoxville is a public institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is ranked #3 for quality in the state of Tennessee.
Read full value report on The University of Tennessee - Knoxville
William Carey University did quite well in the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #24. William Carey University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
William Carey University has the honor of being ranked #3 in Mississippi for overall quality on top of being a good value.
Appalachian State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. Located in Boone, North Carolina, the school is a large public institution.
Appalachian State University has the honor of being ranked #8 in North Carolina for overall quality on top of being a good value.
Not only did these schools make the top 42 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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These schools also performed well in our Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking:
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | Middle Tennessee State University | Murfreesboro, TN | Value Report |
| 44 | Mississippi State University | Mississippi State, MS | Value Report |
| 45 | Western Carolina University | Cullowhee, NC | Value Report |
| 46 | James Madison University | Harrisonburg, VA | Value Report |
| 47 | North Carolina A & T State University | Greensboro, NC | Value Report |
| 48 | University of Alabama at Birmingham | Birmingham, AL | Value Report |
| 49 | The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga | Chattanooga, TN | Value Report |
| 50 | University of the Cumberlands | Williamsburg, KY | Value Report |
| 51 | McNeese State University | Lake Charles, LA | Value Report |
| 52 | University of Richmond | University of Richmond, VA | Value Report |
| 53 | Auburn University | Auburn, AL | Value Report |
| 54 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | Baton Rouge, LA | Value Report |
| 55 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Charlotte, NC | Value Report |
| 56 | Western Kentucky University | Bowling Green, KY | Value Report |
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.