by our College Data Analytics TeamIt's not easy to decide which school to attend when you have so many options available. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our Best Southwest Region Schools For The Money For Those Getting Aid ranking - to help you make that decision. A school that typically has a high sticker price may actually be very affordable, depending on how much need-based financial aid you receive.
See What's Included in This Value Report:
Our analysis looked at 259 schools in the Southwest Region to determine which ones have the best value programs. To come up with this ranking of the best value schools, we look at factors that are all objective measurements. We explain more about what we look at and why we do so below.
To calculate the value of a school in our Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Southwest Region ranking, we first consider its average net price, which is the sum of room and board, tuition, and fees minus any financial aid that 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 host of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
We go into more detail on these factors on 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:
South Texas College tops this year’s ranking as the best value (with aid) school in the Southwest Region for overall quality. South Texas College is located in McAllen, Texas and has a large student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, South Texas College is ranked #22 for quality in the state of Texas. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $1,515 a year.
A rank of #2 on our Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Southwest Region list means Lee College is a great place for students working on their degree. Lee College is a medium-sized public school located in Baytown, Texas.
Not only is Lee College a great value, but it is also ranked #6 in Texas for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $7,113.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend El Centro College. It ranked #3 on our 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Southwest Region list. El Centro College is a large public school situated in Dallas, Texas.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, El Centro College is ranked #17 for quality in the state of Texas. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $4,803 a year.
Out of the 259 schools in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Central Texas College landed the #4 spot on the list. Killeen, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Central Texas College has the honor of being ranked #12 in Texas for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $6,285 a year.
A rank of #5 on our Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Southwest Region list means Central New Mexico Community College is a great place for students working on their degree. CNM is a fairly large public school situated in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Not only is Central New Mexico Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #1 in New Mexico for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $5,303.
Learn More About Value at Central New Mexico Community College
Pima Community College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Southwest Region ranking. Pima County Community College District is located in Tucson, Arizona and has a fairly large student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Pima Community College is ranked #13 for quality in the state of Arizona. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $3,223.
Houston Community College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Southwest Region ranking. Houston Community College is a public institution located in Houston, Texas.
Not only is Houston Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #15 in Texas for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $6,108 a year.
With a ranking of #8, Lamar State College - Orange did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Southwest Region list. Located in Orange, Texas, the school is a small public institution.
The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $1,974 a year.
With a ranking of #9, Austin Community College District did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Southwest Region list. Austin Community College District is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas.
Austin Community College District has the honor of being ranked #32 in Texas for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $4,233 a year.
Lamar Institute of Technology landed the #10 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Southwest Region ranking. Lamar Institute of Technology is a small public school located in Beaumont, Texas.
Not only is Lamar Institute of Technology a great value, but it is also ranked #13 in Texas for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $7,627.
Northwest Vista College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Southwest Region ranking. This fairly large public school is located in San Antonio, Texas.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Northwest Vista College is ranked #19 for quality in the state of Texas. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $6,290.
With a ranking of #12, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Southwest Region list. Located in Edinburg, Texas, the school is a large public institution.
Not only is The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley a great value, but it is also ranked #23 in Texas for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $6,244.
Read full value report on The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Central Arizona College landed the #13 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Southwest Region ranking. This small public school is located in Coolidge, Arizona.
Central Arizona College has the honor of being ranked #10 in Arizona for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $5,933 a year.
San Antonio College landed the #14 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Southwest Region ranking. San Antonio College is located in San Antonio, Texas and has a fairly large student population. It is a public school.
Not only is San Antonio College a great value, but it is also ranked #27 in Texas for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $6,041.
McLennan Community College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Southwest Region list. This medium-sized public school is located in Waco, Texas.
Not only is McLennan Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #24 in Texas for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $6,691 a year.
Del Mar College landed the #16 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Southwest Region ranking. DMC is a public institution located in Corpus Christi, Texas.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Del Mar College is ranked #37 for quality in the state of Texas. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $5,617 a year.
Rice University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Southwest Region list. Located in Houston, Texas, the school is a medium-sized private not-for-profit institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Rice University is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Texas. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $18,521.
Collin County Community College District landed the #18 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Southwest Region ranking. Collin County Community College District is a large public school located in McKinney, Texas.
Collin County Community College District has the honor of being ranked #21 in Texas for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $7,498 a year.
Read full value report on Collin County Community College District
Oklahoma City Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #19. OCCC is a public institution located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Not only is Oklahoma City Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #5 in Oklahoma for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $5,737.
Panola College landed the #20 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Southwest Region ranking. Panola College is a public institution located in Carthage, Texas.
Panola College has the honor of being ranked #42 in Texas for overall quality on top of being a good value. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $6,080.
Tarrant County College District ranked #21 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Southwest Region list. Fort Worth, Texas 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, Tarrant County College District is ranked #30 for quality in the state of Texas. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $6,867.
Grayson College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Southwest Region ranking. Grayson College is located in Denison, Texas and has a small student population. It is a public school.
Not only is Grayson College a great value, but it is also ranked #73 in Texas for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $3,102 a year.
Texas State Technical College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Southwest Region ranking. TSTC is a public institution located in Waco, Texas.
Texas State Technical College has the honor of being ranked #8 in Texas for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $11,698 a year.
The University of Texas at Austin landed the #24 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Southwest Region ranking. This large public school is located in Austin, Texas.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, The University of Texas at Austin is ranked #2 for quality in the state of Texas. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $16,589 a year.
El Paso Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #25. El Paso Community College is a large public school located in El Paso, Texas.
El Paso Community College has the honor of being ranked #64 in Texas for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $3,982 a year.
Not only did these schools make the top 39 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 Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Southwest Region ranking:
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | GateWay Community College | Phoenix, AZ | Value Report |
| 41 | Victoria College | Victoria, TX | Value Report |
| 42 | Odessa College | Odessa, TX | Value Report |
| 43 | Lone Star College System | The Woodlands, TX | Value Report |
| 44 | College of the Mainland | Texas City, TX | Value Report |
| 45 | New Mexico State University - Dona Ana | Las Cruces, NM | Value Report |
| 46 | Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus | Portales, NM | Value Report |
| 47 | Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City | Oklahoma City, OK | Value Report |
| 48 | University of Houston | Houston, TX | Value Report |
| 49 | The University of Texas at San Antonio | San Antonio, TX | Value Report |
| 50 | Wharton County Junior College | Wharton, TX | Value Report |
| 51 | Mesa Community College | Mesa, AZ | Value Report |
| 52 | San Jacinto Community College | Pasadena, TX | Value Report |
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.