by our College Data Analytics Team
[Adult Development & Aging](/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/human-development-family-studies/adult-development-and-aging/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong adult development & aging education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 14 schools to find the best return on investment for adult development & aging students.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the adult development & aging degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in adult development & aging, no school beat Pennsylvania State University World Campus this year. Pennsylvania State University World Campus is a large public school located in the city of University Park. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,356. Median earnings reach $63,435 ten years out. Pennsylvania State University World Campus admits about 91% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes Pennsylvania State University Main Campus one of the best values for adult development & aging. Pennsylvania State University Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of University Park. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $20,644, compared with $41,790 for out-of-state students. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $63,435. The acceptance rate is 61%.
The ranking above is published 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 · 14 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.