[Family & Community Services](/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/human-development-family-studies/family-and-community-services/) 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.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for family & community services students.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the family & community services degrees they offer, see the list below.
University Of Michigan Dearborn tops our 2026 list of the best value family & community services schools in Michigan. Located in the city of Dearborn, University Of Michigan Dearborn is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,640, while out-of-state students pay about $32,896. Family & Community Services graduates carry a median of $26,516 in student loans. Soon after graduation, family & community services degree recipients from University Of Michigan Dearborn generally make around $62,536. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 56%.
Baker College Of Flint is a great value for students pursuing a degree in family & community services, landing the #2 spot this year. Baker College Of Flint is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Owosso. Students from in state pay about $13,000 in tuition and fees. Family & Community Services graduates carry a median of $33,250 in student loans. Family & Community Services 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%.
Students looking for strong value in family & community services will find it at Western Michigan University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Kalamazoo, Western Michigan University is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $15,987, compared with $19,952 for out-of-state students. Family & Community Services graduates carry a median of $29,539 in student loans. Early-career family & community services graduates make about $35,209. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 85%.
Michigan State University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value family & community services schools. Set in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $18,079 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $44,850. Typical student debt for family & community services graduates is $29,750. Early-career family & community services graduates make about $31,434. Set against $29,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Michigan State University admits about 85% of applicants.
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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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
