About Us

Since 2013, Best Value Schools has helped millions of Americans find the best education for their careers — at the best value. We publish independent, evidence-based rankings to compare thousands of schools, degrees, and programs around the country. Whether you’re looking for an undergraduate degree on a traditional campus, or an online program to enhance your career, we’ll help you make a decision with confidence.

What We Do

We research

658

degree subjects to see how they'll impact your career.

We rank

6,374

schools with our evidence-based methodologies.

We help

3.5 million

students make decisions each year.

We compared

1,500+

college mascots before picking Delta State University's Fighting Okra as the best in the U.S.

We want

$1.7 trillion

in U.S. student debt (2021) reduced to zero.

As seen in:

What Do We Mean By “Value”?

A higher education degree will, on average, increase your lifetime earnings. But it can also be a major financial investment in the short term. That’s why we prioritize value in our data. As explained on our methodology page, we use weighted factors such as degree investment return and alumni evaluations to determine which schools offer the best overall value.

For some students, that value may be strictly financial — affordable tuition and financial aid opportunities. Other students may value a university’s reputation or faculty quality more. Or a valuable education may be an online or flexible program that allows students to care for family, develop work experience, and balance all of life’s responsibilities while pursuing a degree.

Whatever you value most, we’re here to make your choices easier.

Learn more about how we rank schools and programs. Our Methodology, Explained.

Meet the Team

Angelica Leicht

Schools Editor

Alma mater: University of Houston

Angelica Leicht is the schools editor at Best Value Schools who oversees our college rankings, school profiles, and other higher education coverage. She previously served as an education reporter at Kearney Hub, and an editor at the Dallas Observer and Houston Press. Her writing has appeared in Affordable Colleges Online, Bankrate, The Simple Dollar, and elsewhere.
Danika Miller

Education Reporter

Alma mater: Western Washington University

Danika Miller is a staff education reporter at Best Value Schools. She graduated from Western Washington University with a BA in creative writing. Danika has since specialized in education and finance writing as a reporter at Affordable Colleges Online, The Simple Dollar, Her Campus, CreditCards.com, Reviews.com, and elsewhere.
Adam Morgan

Editorial Director

Alma mater: Furman University, Roosevelt University

Adam Morgan is the editorial director of Best Value Schools. He has taught undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education students at Roosevelt University, the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, and is a core faculty member at StoryStudio Chicago. His writing has been featured in The Guardian, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and elsewhere, and he has led editorial teams at The Simple Dollar, NextAdvisor, and Bankrate.
Kat Wallner

Head of Marketing

Alma mater: University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

Kat Wallner leads Marketing for Best Value Schools. She has led product and marketing for digital brands such as Reviews.com, The Simple Dollar and MYMOVE. She graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a degree in Business Journalism and Spanish. Her passion lies in connecting consumers to the right content and brands to make some life's most important financial decisions such as choosing your Higher Education.
Rogelio Vazquez-Rivera

Engineering Manager

Alma mater: University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez

Rogelio Vazquez-Rivera is the engineering manager for Best Value Schools. He began his career working at IBM building software for the collaboration solutions business. He holds a B.S. and a M.Eng. in Computer Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez.
Rachel Stanton

Communications Coordinator

Alma mater: University of South Carolina

Rachel Stanton is the communications coordinator at Best Value Schools. She graduated from University of South Carolina with a BA in Advertising. Rachel has since worked as a communications coordinator on Reviews.com, The Simple Dollar, and Million Mile Secrets before taking on the role for Best Value Schools.