2027 Best Value Labor & Industrial Relations Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[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 schools below stand out for delivering a strong labor & industrial relations education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 6 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for labor & industrial relations students.
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2027 Best Value Labor & Industrial Relations Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in labor & industrial relations, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Labor & Industrial Relations Schools
Our analysis ranked Wayne State University the best value for a degree in labor & industrial relations in the Great Lakes Region. Wayne State University is a very large public school located in the city of Detroit. Students from in state pay about $16,159 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $34,650. Students borrow a median of $24,213 to complete the labor & industrial relations program here. Soon after graduation, labor & industrial relations degree recipients from Wayne State University generally make around $48,324. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign one of the best values for labor & industrial relations. Located in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,267, compared with $40,096 for out-of-state students. Labor & Industrial Relations graduates carry a median of $20,778 in student loans. Labor & Industrial Relations graduates of University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn a median of $89,637 early in their careers. Set against $20,778 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Students looking for strong value in labor & industrial relations will find it at Cleveland State University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Cleveland, Cleveland State University is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $12,982, with out-of-state students paying around $18,502. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the labor & industrial relations program here. Early-career labor & industrial relations graduates make about $54,679. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 91%.
Students looking for strong value in labor & industrial relations will find it at Michigan State University, which ranked #4. Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $18,079, while out-of-state students pay about $44,850. Labor & Industrial Relations graduates carry a median of $23,475 in student loans. Early-career labor & industrial relations graduates make about $78,014. Set against $23,475 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 85%.
A rank of #5 makes Northwestern University one of the best values for labor & industrial relations. Set in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $68,322 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $38,832 to complete the labor & industrial relations program here. Soon after graduation, labor & industrial relations degree recipients from Northwestern University generally make around $78,551. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 8%.
Loyola University Chicago ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value labor & industrial relations schools. Loyola University Chicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Students from in state pay about $53,710 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $23,521 to complete the labor & industrial relations program here. Early-career labor & industrial relations graduates make about $58,568. That is a strong return on a $23,521 median debt. Loyola University Chicago admits about 82% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.
