2027 Best Value Child development Schools in the New England Region

[Child development](/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/human-development-family-studies/child-development/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for child development students.
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2027 Best Value Child development Schools in the New England Region
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
Mount Wachusett Community College tops our 2027 list of the best value child development schools in the New England Region. Set in the suburb of Gardner, Mount Wachusett Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,160, compared with $11,080 for out-of-state students. Child Development graduates carry a median of $5,921 in student loans. Early-career child development graduates make about $27,078. Set against $5,921 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Massasoit Community College came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value child development schools. Located in the suburb of Brockton, Massasoit Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,376, with out-of-state students paying around $10,320. Students borrow a median of $10,894 to complete the child development program here. Early-career child development graduates make about $42,938. Set against $10,894 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Charter Oak State College came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value child development schools. Set in the suburb of New Britain, Charter Oak State College is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $8,506 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for child development graduates is $23,584. Early-career child development graduates make about $62,864. Set against $23,584 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #4 makes Boston University one of the best values for child development. Boston University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston. Students from in state pay about $68,102 in tuition and fees. Child Development graduates carry a median of $25,232 in student loans. Early-career child development graduates make about $49,851. Set against $25,232 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 11% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Post University earned it the #5 place for child development. Set in the city of Waterbury, Post University is a very large private for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $15,922. Child Development graduates carry a median of $42,597 in student loans. Soon after graduation, child development degree recipients from Post University generally make around $30,186. That is a strong return on a $42,597 median debt.
Merrimack College came in at #6 for value in child development this year. Located in the suburb of North Andover, Merrimack College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $53,962. Child Development graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Child Development graduates of Merrimack College earn a median of $50,506 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Merrimack College admits about 70% of applicants.
Tufts University earned the #7 position for value in child development this year. Located in the suburb of Medford, Tufts University is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $70,704 in tuition and fees. Child Development graduates carry a median of $16,170 in student loans. Early-career child development graduates make about $44,725. Set against $16,170 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 12% of applicants are accepted.
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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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 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.