2026 Best Value Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing Schools in Michigan

[Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/psychiatric-mental-health-nurse-nursing/) 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 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 6 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing students.
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2026 Best Value Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing Schools in Michigan
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of Michigan Flint the best value for a degree in psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing in Michigan. Set in the city of Flint, University Of Michigan Flint is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,236, while out-of-state students pay about $27,790. Typical student debt for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates is $39,231. Soon after graduation, psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing degree recipients from University Of Michigan Flint generally make around $108,929. That is a strong return on a $39,231 median debt. The acceptance rate is 70%.
Students looking for strong value in psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing will find it at Saginaw Valley State University, which ranked #2. Saginaw Valley State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of University Center. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,930, with out-of-state students paying around $30,450. Students borrow a median of $28,000 to complete the psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing program here. Early-career psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates make about $91,542. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Saginaw Valley State University admits about 72% of applicants.
Wayne State University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing schools. Wayne State University is a very large public school located in the city of Detroit. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,159, while out-of-state students pay about $34,650. Students borrow a median of $30,165 to complete the psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing program here. Soon after graduation, psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing degree recipients from Wayne State University generally make around $103,835. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Wayne State University admits about 81% of applicants.
University Of Michigan Ann Arbor came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing schools. Set in the city of Ann Arbor, University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $18,848, compared with $63,081 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates is $19,000. Soon after graduation, psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing degree recipients from University Of Michigan Ann Arbor generally make around $66,254. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor admits about 16% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing will find it at Michigan State University, which ranked #5. Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $18,079 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $44,850. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $28,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing degree recipients from Michigan State University generally make around $89,879. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
Spring Arbor University landed the #6 spot for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing value this year. Located in the rural area of Spring Arbor, Spring Arbor University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $34,014. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $29,748 in student loans. Early-career psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates make about $89,684. Set against $29,748 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Spring Arbor University admits about 52% of applicants.
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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.