2027 Best Value General Human Development & Family Studies Schools in the The Plains States Region
[General Human Development & Family Studies](/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/human-development-family-studies/human-development-and-family-studies-general/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 11 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general human development & family studies students.
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2027 Best Value General Human Development & Family Studies Schools in the The Plains States Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general human development & family studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Human Development & Family Studies Schools
Our analysis ranked Saint Marys University Of Minnesota the best value for a degree in general human development & family studies in the The Plains States Region. Located in the town of Winona, Saint Marys University Of Minnesota is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $45,080 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,081 to complete the general human development & family studies program here. General Human Development & Family Studies graduates of Saint Marys University Of Minnesota earn a median of $69,785 early in their careers. Set against $27,081 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Saint Marys University Of Minnesota admits about 93% of applicants.
North Dakota State University Main Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general human development & family studies, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Fargo, North Dakota State University Main Campus is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $10,910 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $15,564. Students borrow a median of $26,569 to complete the general human development & family studies program here. Soon after graduation, general human development & family studies degree recipients from North Dakota State University Main Campus generally make around $41,717. That is a strong return on a $26,569 median debt. The acceptance rate is 95%.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Central Missouri one of the best values for general human development & family studies. Set in the town of Warrensburg, University Of Central Missouri is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,050 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $18,600. Typical student debt for general human development & family studies graduates is $24,500. Early-career general human development & family studies graduates make about $36,267. That is a strong return on a $24,500 median debt. University Of Central Missouri admits about 64% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes Missouri State University Springfield one of the best values for general human development & family studies. Set in the city of Springfield, Missouri State University Springfield is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,502, with out-of-state students paying around $18,770. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the general human development & family studies program here. Soon after graduation, general human development & family studies degree recipients from Missouri State University Springfield generally make around $32,769. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Nebraska Lincoln came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value general human development & family studies schools. University Of Nebraska Lincoln is a very large public school located in the city of Lincoln. Students from in state pay about $10,434 in tuition and fees, compared with $28,584 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $22,386 to complete the general human development & family studies program here. Early-career general human development & family studies graduates make about $49,451. Set against $22,386 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Iowa State University landed the #6 spot for general human development & family studies value this year. Iowa State University is a very large public school located in the city of Ames. Students from in state pay about $10,787 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $28,881. General Human Development & Family Studies graduates carry a median of $24,958 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general human development & family studies degree recipients from Iowa State University generally make around $36,364. That is a strong return on a $24,958 median debt. Iowa State University admits about 89% of applicants.
Concordia University Saint Paul earned the #7 position for value in general human development & family studies this year. Located in the city of Saint Paul, Concordia University Saint Paul is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $25,600 in tuition and fees. General Human Development & Family Studies graduates carry a median of $30,583 in student loans. Early-career general human development & family studies graduates make about $42,810. That is a strong return on a $30,583 median debt. Roughly 79% of applicants are accepted.
Kansas State University came in at #8 for value in general human development & family studies this year. Set in the city of Manhattan, Kansas State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $11,221 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $28,568. General Human Development & Family Studies graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Early-career general human development & family studies graduates make about $42,654. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
South Dakota State University landed the #9 spot for general human development & family studies value this year. Located in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,299, with out-of-state students paying around $12,809. General Human Development & Family Studies graduates carry a median of $24,500 in student loans. Early-career general human development & family studies graduates make about $37,123. Set against $24,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. South Dakota State University admits about 98% of applicants.
University Of Missouri Columbia placed #10 among the best values for general human development & family studies. Set in the city of Columbia, University Of Missouri Columbia is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $14,837, while out-of-state students pay about $36,056. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the general human development & family studies program here. Early-career general human development & family studies graduates make about $40,221. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Missouri Columbia admits about 78% of applicants.
Maryville University Of Saint Louis came in at #11 for value in general human development & family studies this year. Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, Maryville University Of Saint Louis is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $27,166. Typical student debt for general human development & family studies graduates is $24,499. Soon after graduation, general human development & family studies degree recipients from Maryville University Of Saint Louis generally make around $67,909. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 95% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 11 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.
