by our College Data Analytics Team
[Informatics](/majors/computer-information-sciences/computer-information-systems-cis/informatics/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 19 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for informatics students.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the informatics degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in informatics, no school beat Ivy Tech Community College this year. Located in the city of Indianapolis, Ivy Tech Community College is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,154, while out-of-state students pay about $9,935. Typical student debt for informatics graduates is $12,226. Early-career informatics graduates make about $38,869. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #2 makes Indiana University Kokomo one of the best values for informatics. Indiana University Kokomo is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Kokomo. Students from in state pay about $8,424 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $22,811. Typical student debt for informatics graduates is $24,619. Informatics graduates of Indiana University Kokomo earn a median of $43,500 early in their careers. Set against $24,619 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Indiana University Southeast earned it the #3 place for informatics. Located in the suburb of New Albany, Indiana University Southeast is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,424, with out-of-state students paying around $22,811. Students borrow a median of $23,981 to complete the informatics program here. Informatics graduates of Indiana University Southeast earn a median of $43,463 early in their careers. Set against $23,981 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis earned it the #4 place for informatics. Located in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $10,762 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $34,891. Typical student debt for informatics graduates is $25,780. Early-career informatics graduates make about $69,632. That is a strong return on a $25,780 median debt. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Michigan Ann Arbor came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value informatics schools. Located in the city of Ann Arbor, University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $18,848, compared with $63,081 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,000 to complete the informatics program here. Informatics graduates of University Of Michigan Ann Arbor earn a median of $113,634 early in their careers. Set against $20,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 16% of applicants are accepted.
Ferris State University came in at #6 for value in informatics this year. Ferris State University is a large public school located in the town of Big Rapids. In-state tuition and fees average $14,778. Typical student debt for informatics graduates is $27,813. Soon after graduation, informatics degree recipients from Ferris State University generally make around $54,608. That is a strong return on a $27,813 median debt. The acceptance rate is 91%.
University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh came in at #7 for value in informatics this year. Located in the city of Oshkosh, University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $8,532 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $16,446. Students borrow a median of $24,619 to complete the informatics program here. Informatics graduates of University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh earn a median of $50,590 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,619 median debt. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Indiana University Bloomington came in at #8 for value in informatics this year. Set in the city of Bloomington, Indiana University Bloomington is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,144 in tuition and fees, compared with $41,891 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for informatics graduates is $19,500. Informatics graduates of Indiana University Bloomington earn a median of $62,350 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Indiana University Bloomington admits about 78% of applicants.
Dominican University ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best value informatics schools. Dominican University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of River Forest. Students from in state pay about $38,828 in tuition and fees. Informatics graduates carry a median of $26,236 in student loans. Informatics graduates of Dominican University earn a median of $45,546 early in their careers. Set against $26,236 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 90%.
University Of Wisconsin Stout landed the #10 spot for informatics value this year. Located in the town of Menomonie, University Of Wisconsin Stout is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,701, while out-of-state students pay about $19,265. Students borrow a median of $27,012 to complete the informatics program here. Early-career informatics graduates make about $64,634. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Wisconsin Stout admits about 88% of applicants.
Judson University earned the #11 position for value in informatics this year. Located in the city of Elgin, Judson University is a small private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $30,297. Typical student debt for informatics graduates is $27,685. Early-career informatics graduates make about $47,550. That is a strong return on a $27,685 median debt. Judson University admits about 48% of applicants.
Depaul University earned the #12 position for value in informatics this year. Set in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $45,405. Informatics graduates carry a median of $24,321 in student loans. Early-career informatics graduates make about $55,226. Set against $24,321 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Depaul University admits about 76% of applicants.
This list is compiled 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 · 19 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.