2027 Best Value Child development Schools in Pennsylvania
[Child development](/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/human-development-family-studies/child-development/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong child development education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find the best return on investment for child development students.
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2027 Best Value Child development Schools in Pennsylvania
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the child development degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Child development Schools
For return on investment in child development, no school beat Reading Area Community College this year. Set in the city of Reading, Reading Area Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,480, compared with $12,510 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for child development graduates is $13,979. Child Development graduates of Reading Area Community College earn a median of $49,248 early in their careers. Set against $13,979 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Community College Of Allegheny County came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value child development schools. Set in the city of Pittsburgh, Community College Of Allegheny County is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,956 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $12,583. Students borrow a median of $9,651 to complete the child development program here. Child Development graduates of Community College Of Allegheny County earn a median of $28,078 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Indiana University Of Pennsylvania Main Campus earned it the #3 place for child development. Set in the town of Indiana, Indiana University Of Pennsylvania Main Campus is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $11,380 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $16,297. Typical student debt for child development graduates is $26,817. Early-career child development graduates make about $30,675. That is a strong return on a $26,817 median debt. The acceptance rate is 91%.
Pennsylvania State University World Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in child development, landing the #4 spot this year. Pennsylvania State University World Campus is a large public school located in the city of University Park. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,356. Typical student debt for child development graduates is $26,057. Early-career child development graduates make about $33,375. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Pennsylvania State University World Campus admits about 91% of applicants.
Lackawanna College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in child development, landing the #5 spot this year. Lackawanna College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Scranton. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,400. Students borrow a median of $18,500 to complete the child development program here. Early-career child development graduates make about $37,408. That is a strong return on a $18,500 median debt.
Pennsylvania State University Penn State Harrisburg landed the #6 spot for child development value this year. Pennsylvania State University Penn State Harrisburg is a mid-sized public school located in the suburb of Middletown. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,972, compared with $26,958 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $28,000 to complete the child development program here. Soon after graduation, child development degree recipients from Pennsylvania State University Penn State Harrisburg generally make around $34,030. Set against $28,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
Pennsylvania State University Penn State Erie Behrend College came in at #7 for value in child development this year. Set in the suburb of Erie, Pennsylvania State University Penn State Erie Behrend College is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $15,972 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $26,958. Students borrow a median of $25,296 to complete the child development program here. Early-career child development graduates make about $56,450. That is a strong return on a $25,296 median debt. Pennsylvania State University Penn State Erie Behrend College admits about 97% of applicants.
Messiah College landed the #8 spot for child development value this year. Messiah College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Mechanicsburg. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $42,240. Typical student debt for child development graduates is $27,000. Child Development graduates of Messiah College earn a median of $32,943 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Messiah College admits about 79% of applicants.
Pennsylvania State University Main Campus came in at #9 for value in child development this year. Set in the city of University Park, Pennsylvania State University Main Campus is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $20,644, with out-of-state students paying around $41,790. Typical student debt for child development graduates is $26,057. Early-career child development graduates make about $33,375. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 61% 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), 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 · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 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.
