2026 Best Value Human Development & Family Studies Schools in the New England Region
[Human Development & Family Studies](/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/human-development-family-studies/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong human development & family studies education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 31 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for human development & family studies students.
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2026 Best Value Human Development & Family Studies Schools in the New England Region
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 North Shore Community College this year. Located in the suburb of Danvers, North Shore Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,352, while out-of-state students pay about $10,920. Students borrow a median of $9,622 to complete the human development & family studies program here. Human Development & Family Studies graduates of North Shore Community College earn a median of $34,978 early in their careers. Set against $9,622 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Holyoke Community College earned it the #2 place for human development & family studies. Located in the rural area of Holyoke, Holyoke Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,988, with out-of-state students paying around $10,932. Human Development & Family Studies graduates carry a median of $9,763 in student loans. Human Development & Family Studies graduates of Holyoke Community College earn a median of $43,423 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Massasoit Community College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value human development & family studies schools. Set in the suburb of Brockton, Massasoit Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,376, while out-of-state students pay about $10,320. Human Development & Family Studies graduates carry a median of $10,894 in student loans. Soon after graduation, human development & family studies degree recipients from Massasoit Community College generally make around $42,938. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #4 makes Mount Wachusett Community College one of the best values for human development & family studies. Set in the suburb of Gardner, Mount Wachusett Community College is a mid-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $6,160, compared with $11,080 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for human development & family studies graduates is $5,921. Early-career human development & family studies graduates make about $27,078. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #5 makes Charter Oak State College one of the best values for human development & family studies. Set in the suburb of New Britain, Charter Oak State College is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,506. Students borrow a median of $23,584 to complete the human development & family studies program here. Soon after graduation, human development & family studies degree recipients from Charter Oak State College generally make around $62,864. Set against $23,584 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Community College Of Vermont ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value human development & family studies schools. Located in the rural area of Montpelier, Community College Of Vermont is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,920, while out-of-state students pay about $13,640. Human Development & Family Studies graduates carry a median of $12,125 in student loans. Human Development & Family Studies graduates of Community College Of Vermont earn a median of $34,182 early in their careers. Set against $12,125 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Framingham State University earned the #7 position for value in human development & family studies this year. Set in the city of Framingham, Framingham State University is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,920, with out-of-state students paying around $18,000. Human Development & Family Studies graduates carry a median of $25,872 in student loans. Human Development & Family Studies graduates of Framingham State University earn a median of $49,006 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,872 median debt. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Rhode Island ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value human development & family studies schools. Set in the suburb of Kingston, University Of Rhode Island is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,942, compared with $37,146 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the human development & family studies program here. Human Development & Family Studies graduates of University Of Rhode Island earn a median of $41,062 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 72%.
University Of Maine came in at #9 for value in human development & family studies this year. Located in the suburb of Orono, University Of Maine is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $13,326 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $36,756. Human Development & Family Studies graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Human Development & Family Studies graduates of University Of Maine earn a median of $30,983 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 97% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Connecticut earned the #10 position for value in human development & family studies this year. Set in the town of Storrs, University Of Connecticut is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $21,044, compared with $43,712 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for human development & family studies graduates is $23,059. Soon after graduation, human development & family studies degree recipients from University Of Connecticut generally make around $31,642. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 52%.
University Of Vermont landed the #11 spot for human development & family studies value this year. Located in the city of Burlington, University Of Vermont is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $19,058, with out-of-state students paying around $45,502. Students borrow a median of $19,250 to complete the human development & family studies program here. Early-career human development & family studies graduates make about $25,249. That is a strong return on a $19,250 median debt. Roughly 65% of applicants are accepted.
Post University placed #12 among the best values for human development & family studies. Set in the city of Waterbury, Post University is a very large private for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,922. Students borrow a median of $42,597 to complete the human development & family studies program here. Early-career human development & family studies graduates make about $30,186. Set against $42,597 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
University Of New Hampshire Main Campus placed #13 among the best values for human development & family studies. University Of New Hampshire Main Campus is a large public school located in the town of Durham. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $19,202, with out-of-state students paying around $39,852. Human Development & Family Studies graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career human development & family studies graduates make about $32,146. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Tufts University earned the #14 position for value in human development & family studies this year. Set in the suburb of Medford, Tufts University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $70,704 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $16,170 to complete the human development & family studies program here. Human Development & Family Studies graduates of Tufts University earn a median of $44,725 early in their careers. Set against $16,170 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 12%.
Merrimack College landed the #15 spot for human development & family studies value 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. Human Development & Family Studies graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career human development & family studies graduates make about $33,640. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 70%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 31 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 12 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.
