2027 Best Value Behavioral Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Behavioral Sciences](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/behavioral-science/behavioral-sciences/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find the best return on investment for behavioral sciences students.
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2027 Best Value Behavioral Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in behavioral sciences, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Behavioral Sciences Schools
Leading the list is Purdue University Northwest, our #1 best value for behavioral sciences in the Great Lakes Region. Set in the suburb of Hammond, Purdue University Northwest is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $8,357 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $15,504. Behavioral Sciences graduates carry a median of $16,012 in student loans. Early-career behavioral sciences graduates make about $28,340. Set against $16,012 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Purdue University Global earned it the #2 place for behavioral sciences. Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue University Global is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,101, compared with $14,412 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $36,778 to complete the behavioral sciences program here. Early-career behavioral sciences graduates make about $47,857. That is a strong return on a $36,778 median debt.
Vincennes University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in behavioral sciences, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the town of Vincennes, Vincennes University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $7,126 in tuition and fees, compared with $16,858 for out-of-state students. Behavioral Sciences graduates carry a median of $11,371 in student loans. Behavioral Sciences graduates of Vincennes University earn a median of $45,976 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $11,371 median debt.
A rank of #4 makes Western Illinois University one of the best values for behavioral sciences. Set in the town of Macomb, Western Illinois University is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $14,572 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for behavioral sciences graduates is $27,639. Behavioral Sciences graduates of Western Illinois University earn a median of $47,926 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Western Illinois University admits about 71% of applicants.
A rank of #5 makes University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh one of the best values for behavioral sciences. Set in the city of Oshkosh, University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,532, with out-of-state students paying around $16,446. Students borrow a median of $24,619 to complete the behavioral sciences program here. Behavioral Sciences graduates of University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh earn a median of $50,590 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh admits about 86% of applicants.
Carroll University earned the #6 position for value in behavioral sciences this year. Located in the city of Waukesha, Carroll University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $38,890 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $26,904 to complete the behavioral sciences program here. Soon after graduation, behavioral sciences degree recipients from Carroll University generally make around $52,404. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 67%.
Eastern Michigan University ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best value behavioral sciences schools. Located in the suburb of Ypsilanti, Eastern Michigan University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,990. Typical student debt for behavioral sciences graduates is $28,781. Early-career behavioral sciences graduates make about $47,887. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
East West University earned the #8 position for value in behavioral sciences this year. Located in the city of Chicago, East West University is a small private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $25,395 in tuition and fees. Soon after graduation, behavioral sciences degree recipients from East West University generally make around $37,135.
Loyola University Chicago landed the #9 spot for behavioral sciences value this year. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $53,710. Behavioral Sciences graduates carry a median of $5,701 in student loans. Behavioral Sciences graduates of Loyola University Chicago earn a median of $58,568 early in their careers. Set against $5,701 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 82%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 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.
