[Community College Education](/majors/education/educational-administration/community-college-education/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for community college education students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in community college education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Ferris State University tops our 2027 list of the best value community college education schools in Michigan. Ferris State University is a large public school located in the town of Big Rapids. In-state tuition and fees average $14,778. Community College Education graduates carry a median of $23,562 in student loans. Soon after graduation, community college education degree recipients from Ferris State University generally make around $96,834. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
Eastern Michigan University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in community college education, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Ypsilanti, Eastern Michigan University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,990. Typical student debt for community college education graduates is $28,781. Soon after graduation, community college education degree recipients from Eastern Michigan University generally make around $47,887. That is a strong return on a $28,781 median debt. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in community college education will find it at Central Michigan University, which ranked #3. Central Michigan University is a large public school located in the town of Mount Pleasant. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,480. Typical student debt for community college education graduates is $27,857. Community College Education graduates of Central Michigan University earn a median of $76,885 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,857 median debt. The acceptance rate is 90%.
More Community College Education Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
