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2023 Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region

36 Ranked Colleges
3,889 Degrees Awarded
$12,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Human Development & Family Studies is the 44th most popular major in the country with 42,112 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, human development and family studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $28,862 and had an average of $22,387 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 3,889 human development and family studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,199 and $23,462 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 36 colleges that offered a degree in human development and family studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great human development and family studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the human development and family studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Human Development & Family Studies Schools

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Human Development & Family Studies in the Great Lakes Region

1
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Central Michigan University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 140 diplomas to qualified ’s human development students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Central Michigan, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Human Development & Family Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,007 for Great Lakes Region Human Development students per year to attend Central Michigan.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Human Development & Family Studies at Central Michigan

2
The Erikson Institute crest
Erikson Institute
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Erikson Institute. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s human development degrees to 46 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region human development students list, The Erikson Institute has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Human Development & Family Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Erikson Institute Human Development & Family Studies Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. WITC is located in Shell Lake, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 68 ’s human development degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $10,003 for Great Lakes Region Human Development students per year to attend Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College Human Development & Family Studies Report

4
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Michigan University landed the #4 spot on the list. Western Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It awarded 71 ’s human development degrees in 2020-2021.

WMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Human Development & Family Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $20,371 for Great Lakes Region Human Development students per year to attend Western Michigan University.

Read more about Human Development & Family Studies at Western Michigan University

5

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Akron Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Akron, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 51 degrees to qualified ’s human development students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region human development students list, University of Akron Main Campus has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Human Development & Family Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $17,945 for Great Lakes Region Human Development students.

Read more about Human Development & Family Studies at University of Akron Main Campus

6
Grand Rapids Community College crest
Grand Rapids Community College
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Grand Rapids Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. Grand Rapids Community College is a public institution located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 44 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region human development students list, Grand Rapids Community College has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Human Development & Family Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Grand Rapids Community College is $8,595 for great lakes region human development students.

Read more about Human Development & Family Studies at Grand Rapids Community College

7
Baker College crest
Baker College
Owosso, Michigan

Baker College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Owosso, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 90 degrees to qualified ’s human development students in 2020-2021.

Baker College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Human Development & Family Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Baker College is $12,575 for Great Lakes Region Human Development students.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Baker College Human Development & Family Studies Report

8

Purdue University Northwest landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Purdue Northwest is a medium-sized public school situated in Hammond, Indiana. It awarded 18 ’s human development degrees in 2020-2021.

Purdue Northwest did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Human Development & Family Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue Northwest is $11,384 for Great Lakes Region Human Development students.

Read more about Human Development & Family Studies at Purdue Northwest

9
Kellogg Community College crest
Kellogg Community College
Battle Creek, Michigan

Kellogg Community College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Battle Creek, Michigan, and it awarded 25 ’s human development degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Kellogg Community College is $9,332 for Great Lakes Region Human Development students.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Human Development & Family Studies at Kellogg Community College

10

University of Wisconsin - Stout ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 69 diplomas to qualified ’s human development students in 2020-2021.

UW - Stout not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Human Development & Family Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,589 for Great Lakes Region Human Development students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Stout Human Development & Family Studies Report

11
Delta College crest
Delta College
University Center, Michigan

With a ranking of #11, Delta College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Delta College is located in University Center, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 37 ’s human development degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Delta College is $4,268 for Great Lakes Region Human Development students.

Read more about Human Development & Family Studies at Delta College

12

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #12. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 89 ’s human development degrees in 2020-2021.

NIU also took the #17 spot in our “Best Human Development & Family Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $13,956 for Great Lakes Region Human Development students.

Read full report on Human Development & Family Studies at NIU

13
Ferris crest
Ferris State University
Big Rapids, Michigan

Ferris State University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ferris State University is a fairly large public school situated in Big Rapids, Michigan. It awarded 85 ’s human development degrees in 2020-2021.

Ferris also took the #22 spot in our “Best Human Development & Family Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,213 for Great Lakes Region Human Development students per year to attend Ferris State University.

Full Ferris State University Human Development & Family Studies Report

14

Union Institute & University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 53 ’s human development degrees in 2020-2021.

Union not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Human Development & Family Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $19,861 for Great Lakes Region Human Development students per year to attend Union.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Human Development & Family Studies at Union

14
NLU crest
National Louis University
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #14, National Louis University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s human development degrees to 102 students in 2020-2021.

NLU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Human Development & Family Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,584 for great lakes region human development students per year to attend NLU.

Full National Louis University Human Development & Family Studies Report

16

Kent State University at Kent came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Kent, Ohio, this large public school handed out 97 degrees to qualified ’s human development students in 2020-2021.

Kent State also took the #9 spot in our “Best Human Development & Family Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Kent State is $19,117 for Great Lakes Region Human Development students.

Full Kent State University at Kent Human Development & Family Studies Report

17
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. Purdue is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 55 ’s human development degrees to qualified students.

Purdue also made our “Best Human Development & Family Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $13,377 for Great Lakes Region Human Development students per year to attend Purdue.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Human Development & Family Studies at Purdue

18

Ohio University - Athens Campus ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Ohio University - Athens Campus is a large public school situated in Athens, Ohio. It awarded 61 ’s human development degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region human development students list, OHIO Athens has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Human Development & Family Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend OHIO Athens is $23,831 for great lakes region human development students.

Full OHIO Athens Human Development & Family Studies Report

19

Illinois State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Illinois State University is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 37 ’s human development degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region human development students list, Illinois State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Human Development & Family Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $20,830 for Great Lakes Region Human Development students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Human Development & Family Studies at Illinois State

20

City Colleges of Chicago - Malcolm X College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 84 ’s human development degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for City Colleges of Chicago - Malcolm X College is $3,274 for Great Lakes Region Human Development students.

Read full report on Human Development & Family Studies at City Colleges of Chicago - Malcolm X College

21

City Colleges of Chicago - Richard J Daley College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. City Colleges of Chicago - Richard J Daley College is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 50 ’s human development degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Richard J Daley College is $2,897 for Great Lakes Region Human Development students.

Read full report on Human Development & Family Studies at City Colleges of Chicago - Richard J Daley College

22

Ohio University - Southern Campus landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. OHIO Southern is located in Ironton, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s human development degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $8,211 for Great Lakes Region Human Development students per year to attend OHIO Southern.

Full Ohio University - Southern Campus Human Development & Family Studies Report

23

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Bowling Green, Ohio that handed out 70 ’s human development degrees in 2020-2021.

BGSU also made our “Best Human Development & Family Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $18,558 for great lakes region human development students per year to attend BGSU.

Full BGSU Human Development & Family Studies Report

24

City Colleges of Chicago - Olive-Harvey College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. City Colleges of Chicago - Olive-Harvey College is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 30 ’s human development degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Olive-Harvey College is $3,802 for great lakes region human development students.

Read full report on Human Development & Family Studies at Olive-Harvey College

25

With a ranking of #25, Ohio University - Lancaster Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Human Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. OHIO Lancaster is a small school located in Lancaster, Ohio that handed out 2 ’s human development degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend OHIO Lancaster is $8,826 for great lakes region human development students.

Read more about Human Development & Family Studies at Ohio University - Lancaster Campus

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