2026 Best Value Labor & Industrial Relations Associate’s Degree Schools
[Labor & Industrial Relations](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/human-resource-management/labor-and-industrial-relations/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 38 schools to find the best return on investment for labor & industrial relations students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Labor & Industrial Relations Schools in the United States
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the labor & industrial relations degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Labor & Industrial Relations Schools
Leading the list is Suny Empire State College, our #1 best value for labor & industrial relations in the United States. Located in the suburb of Saratoga Springs, Suny Empire State College is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,648, compared with $17,558 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for labor & industrial relations graduates is $23,693. Soon after graduation, labor & industrial relations degree recipients from Suny Empire State College generally make around $58,140. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Other Labor & Industrial Relations Degree Levels
Looking for a different degree level? Compare best-value Labor & Industrial Relations rankings across degree levels:
View All Labor & Industrial Relations Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 38 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
