2026 Best Value Human Development & Family Studies Schools in New York

[Human Development & Family Studies](/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/human-development-family-studies/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong human development & family studies education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 47 schools to find the best return on investment for human development & family studies students.
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2026 Best Value Human Development & Family Studies Schools in New York
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the human development & family studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Human Development & Family Studies Schools
For return on investment in human development & family studies, no school beat Suffolk County Community College this year. Located in the suburb of Selden, Suffolk County Community College is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $6,630, while out-of-state students pay about $12,460. Human Development & Family Studies graduates carry a median of $11,246 in student loans. Soon after graduation, human development & family studies degree recipients from Suffolk County Community College generally make around $35,667. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Hudson Valley Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in human development & family studies, landing the #2 spot this year. Hudson Valley Community College is a large public school located in the city of Troy. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,796, with out-of-state students paying around $11,852. Students borrow a median of $8,216 to complete the human development & family studies program here. Early-career human development & family studies graduates make about $28,815. That is a strong return on a $8,216 median debt.
A rank of #3 makes Erie Community College one of the best values for human development & family studies. Located in the city of Buffalo, Erie Community College is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,100, with out-of-state students paying around $11,300. Students borrow a median of $12,580 to complete the human development & family studies program here. Soon after graduation, human development & family studies degree recipients from Erie Community College generally make around $25,239. Set against $12,580 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #4 makes Monroe Community College one of the best values for human development & family studies. Set in the suburb of Rochester, Monroe Community College is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,006, while out-of-state students pay about $11,056. Typical student debt for human development & family studies graduates is $12,921. Human Development & Family Studies graduates of Monroe Community College earn a median of $38,757 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Onondaga Community College earned it the #5 place for human development & family studies. Set in the suburb of Syracuse, Onondaga Community College is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $6,102 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $11,392. Human Development & Family Studies graduates carry a median of $12,623 in student loans. Soon after graduation, human development & family studies degree recipients from Onondaga Community College generally make around $28,579. That is a strong return on a $12,623 median debt.
Suny Westchester Community College earned the #6 position for value in human development & family studies this year. Located in the suburb of Valhalla, Suny Westchester Community College is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $5,948 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $12,486. Typical student debt for human development & family studies graduates is $8,764. Early-career human development & family studies graduates make about $57,520. Set against $8,764 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Suny Empire State College came in at #7 for value in human development & family studies this year. Located in the suburb of Saratoga Springs, Suny Empire State College is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $7,648 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $17,558. Typical student debt for human development & family studies graduates is $23,693. Soon after graduation, human development & family studies degree recipients from Suny Empire State College generally make around $58,140. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Suny College Of Technology At Canton ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value human development & family studies schools. Located in the town of Canton, Suny College Of Technology At Canton is a mid-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $8,742, with out-of-state students paying around $15,769. Students borrow a median of $23,640 to complete the human development & family studies program here. Human Development & Family Studies graduates of Suny College Of Technology At Canton earn a median of $46,515 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,640 median debt. Suny College Of Technology At Canton admits about 92% of applicants.
Suny College At Oswego came in at #9 for value in human development & family studies this year. Located in the town of Oswego, Suny College At Oswego is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,825, while out-of-state students pay about $18,735. Students borrow a median of $25,163 to complete the human development & family studies program here. Soon after graduation, human development & family studies degree recipients from Suny College At Oswego generally make around $41,899. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 80%.
Suny College At Oneonta landed the #10 spot for human development & family studies value this year. Located in the town of Oneonta, Suny College At Oneonta is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,831, compared with $19,781 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,250 to complete the human development & family studies program here. Early-career human development & family studies graduates make about $36,143. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 70% of applicants are accepted.
Suny At Purchase College landed the #11 spot for human development & family studies value this year. Suny At Purchase College is a mid-sized public school located in the suburb of Purchase. In-state tuition and fees average $9,016, while out-of-state students pay about $19,266. Students borrow a median of $23,689 to complete the human development & family studies program here. Early-career human development & family studies graduates make about $23,182. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
Suny At Binghamton landed the #12 spot for human development & family studies value this year. Located in the suburb of Vestal, Suny At Binghamton is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,567, compared with $30,447 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $19,500 to complete the human development & family studies program here. Soon after graduation, human development & family studies degree recipients from Suny At Binghamton generally make around $36,213. That is a strong return on a $19,500 median debt. Suny At Binghamton admits about 39% of applicants.
Saint Bonaventure University earned the #13 position for value in human development & family studies this year. Saint Bonaventure University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Saint Bonaventure. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $41,735. Students borrow a median of $25,917 to complete the human development & family studies program here. Early-career human development & family studies graduates make about $43,190. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Rochester came in at #14 for value in human development & family studies this year. Set in the city of Rochester, University Of Rochester is a large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $67,080. Students borrow a median of $21,517 to complete the human development & family studies program here. Human Development & Family Studies graduates of University Of Rochester earn a median of $60,865 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Rochester admits about 40% of applicants.
Syracuse University came in at #15 for value in human development & family studies this year. Set in the city of Syracuse, Syracuse University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $65,528. Human Development & Family Studies graduates carry a median of $22,981 in student loans. Early-career human development & family studies graduates make about $36,858. That is a strong return on a $22,981 median debt. Roughly 46% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 47 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 10 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.