2026 Best Value Child development Schools in Michigan
[Child development](/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/human-development-family-studies/child-development/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools to find the best return on investment for child development students.
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2026 Best Value Child development Schools in Michigan
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in child development, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Child development Schools
Our analysis ranked Northwestern Michigan College the best value for a degree in child development in Michigan. Set in the city of Traverse City, Northwestern Michigan College is a mid-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,860, with out-of-state students paying around $13,476. Typical student debt for child development graduates is $17,694. Child Development graduates of Northwestern Michigan College earn a median of $49,210 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Schoolcraft College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value child development schools. Schoolcraft College is a large public school located in the city of Livonia. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,799, while out-of-state students pay about $6,501. Child Development graduates carry a median of $15,677 in student loans. Soon after graduation, child development degree recipients from Schoolcraft College generally make around $46,283. That is a strong return on a $15,677 median debt.
A rank of #3 makes Central Michigan University one of the best values for child development. Central Michigan University is a large public school located in the town of Mount Pleasant. Students from in state pay about $15,480 in tuition and fees. Child Development graduates carry a median of $27,209 in student loans. Early-career child development graduates make about $35,318. That is a strong return on a $27,209 median debt. Central Michigan University admits about 90% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes Baker College Of Flint one of the best values for child development. Set in the town of Owosso, Baker College Of Flint is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $13,000 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $33,250 to complete the child development program here. Child Development graduates of Baker College Of Flint earn a median of $29,526 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 82%.
Eastern Michigan University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in child development, landing the #5 spot this year. Eastern Michigan University is a large public school located in the suburb of Ypsilanti. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,990. Students borrow a median of $33,885 to complete the child development program here. Early-career child development graduates make about $47,887. That is a strong return on a $33,885 median debt. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
Western Michigan University came in at #6 for value in child development this year. Western Michigan University is a large public school located in the city of Kalamazoo. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,987, with out-of-state students paying around $19,952. Typical student debt for child development graduates is $29,539. Child Development graduates of Western Michigan University earn a median of $35,209 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $29,539 median debt. The acceptance rate is 85%.
Michigan State University placed #7 among the best values for child development. Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $18,079, with out-of-state students paying around $44,850. Child Development graduates carry a median of $29,750 in student loans. Child Development graduates of Michigan State University earn a median of $31,434 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $29,750 median debt. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
More Child development Rankings
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Notes and References
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 · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
