2023 Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southwest Region
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Prices
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school or bootcamp to be a better alternative for you.
The Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southwest Region ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 39 schools in the Southwest Region to see which ones offered the best value graduate certificate programs for students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
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Top Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southwest Region of the U.S.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Arizona State University - Skysong to be the best value school for students who want to pursue a graduate certificate in the Southwest Region . ASU - Skysong is a large public school situated in Scottsdale, Arizona. It awarded 263 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
ASU - Skysong graduate students pay an average of $9,982 in tuition and fees each year.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out ASU - Skysong. Every graduate student at the school took at least one class online.
ASU - Skysong also made our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southwest Region list, coming in at #2.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grand Canyon University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, the large private for-profit school awarded 426 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Grand Canyon University are $11,538 per year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Grand Canyon University does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 96% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Out of the 39 schools in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s value ranking, Northeastern State University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the medium-sized public school awarded 36 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at NSU are $10,911 per year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at NSU. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 76% took at least some of their classes online.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Angelo State University is a great place for students working on their graduate certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. Angelo State is a fairly large public school situated in San Angelo, Texas. It awarded 55 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Angelo State are $14,590 a year.
Online graduate courses are available at Angelo State, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 88% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
The excellent graduate certificate programs at University of Phoenix - Arizona helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best value schools in the Southwest Region . UOPX - Arizona is a large private for-profit school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 1,107 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at UOPX - Arizona are $16,153 a year.
UOPX - Arizona does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 99% took at least some of their classes online.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UOPX - Arizona also is in the top 20% of our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southwest Region ranking.
St. Mary’s University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in San Antonio, Texas, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 9 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at St. Mary’s are $19,846 a year.
One thing to take note of is that St. Mary’s does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In fact, around 84% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
St. Mary’s did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southwest Region list.
University of Houston - Downtown ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southwest Region list. UH Downtown is a fairly large public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 324 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at UH Downtown are $15,991 per year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at UH Downtown. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 98% took at least some of their classes online.
Texas Tech University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southwest Region list. Lubbock, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out graduate certificates to 516 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Texas Tech are $17,698 per year.
Online graduate courses are available at Texas Tech, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 49% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Texas Tech also is in the top 20% of our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southwest Region ranking.
New Mexico Highlands University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in Las Vegas, New Mexico, the small public school handed out 49 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at New Mexico Highlands University are $11,154 per year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at New Mexico Highlands University. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 99% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #10 on the list. This large public school is located in College Station, Texas, and it awarded 492 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Texas A&M College Station are $24,106 a year.
Online graduate courses are available at Texas A&M College Station, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 23% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Texas A&M College Station did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southwest Region list.
Texas Woman’s University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #11 on the list. Texas Woman’s University is a fairly large public school located in Denton, Texas that handed out 157 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at TWU are $15,048 a year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at TWU. In 2019-2020 about 88% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Sam Houston State University landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate programs. Located in Huntsville, Texas, the large public school handed out 57 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at SHSU are $16,009 per year.
SHSU does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 68% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #13 on the list. UT Austin is located in Austin, Texas and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 graduate certificates to qualified students.
UT Austin graduate students pay an average of $22,944 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that UT Austin does offer online graduate classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 66% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
UT Austin not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southwest Region list.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. This large public school is located in Edinburg, Texas, and it awarded 64 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at UT Rio Grande Valley are $15,677 per year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at UT Rio Grande Valley. In fact, around 92% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Read full report on The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
With a ranking of #15, Lamar University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. Located in Beaumont, Texas, the fairly large public school awarded 882 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Lamar University are $15,755 a year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Lamar University. In 2019-2020 about 95% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
University of North Texas came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. UNT is located in Denton, Texas and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 224 graduate certificates to qualified students.
UNT graduate students pay an average of $15,600 in tuition and fees each year.
UNT does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In fact, around 50% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
East Central University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in Ada, Oklahoma, the small public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at ECU are $11,634 per year.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out ECU. Every graduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Texas State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. This large public school is located in San Marcos, Texas, and it awarded 101 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Texas State graduate students pay an average of $17,220 in tuition and fees each year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Texas State. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 76% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #19, Mid-America Christian University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out graduate certificates to 24 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at MACU are $15,312 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since MACU does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 74% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Texas A&M University - Kingsville landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate programs. Located in Kingsville, Texas, the medium-sized public school awarded 45 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Texas A&M Kingsville are $14,344 a year.
Online graduate courses are available at Texas A&M Kingsville, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 63% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
The University of Texas at El Paso ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southwest Region list. El Paso, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out graduate certificates to 41 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at UTEP are $16,621 per year.
One thing to take note of is that UTEP does offer online graduate classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 88% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Northern Arizona University landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate programs. Northern Arizona University is a large public school located in Flagstaff, Arizona that handed out 145 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at NAU are $20,125 a year. Graduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $23,445 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since NAU does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 54% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate programs. OSU is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 171 graduate certificates to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at OSU are $24,175 per year.
One thing to take note of is that OSU does offer online graduate classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 60% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #24 on the list. Texas A&M Corpus Christi is located in Corpus Christi, Texas and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 16 graduate certificates to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Texas A&M Corpus Christi are $15,995 a year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Texas A&M Corpus Christi. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 86% took at least some of their classes online.
The University of Texas at Arlington ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southwest Region list. UT Arlington is a large public school situated in Arlington, Texas. It awarded 261 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at UT Arlington are $24,005 per year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at UT Arlington. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 65% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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