2026 Best Value Applied & Professional Ethics Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Applied & Professional Ethics](/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/applied-and-professional-ethics/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 11 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for applied & professional ethics students.
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2026 Best Value Applied & Professional Ethics Schools in the Great Lakes Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the applied & professional ethics degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Applied & Professional Ethics Schools
For return on investment in applied & professional ethics, no school beat University Of Wisconsin Stevens Point this year. Located in the town of Stevens Point, University Of Wisconsin Stevens Point is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $9,228, while out-of-state students pay about $18,248. Applied & Professional Ethics graduates carry a median of $23,380 in student loans. Early-career applied & professional ethics graduates make about $31,662. Set against $23,380 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Wisconsin Stevens Point admits about 92% of applicants.
Wayne State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in applied & professional ethics, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Detroit, Wayne State University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,159, with out-of-state students paying around $34,650. Applied & Professional Ethics graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, applied & professional ethics degree recipients from Wayne State University generally make around $55,469. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 81%.
Ohio State University Main Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in applied & professional ethics, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State University Main Campus is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,244, with out-of-state students paying around $40,022. Applied & Professional Ethics graduates carry a median of $26,247 in student loans. Early-career applied & professional ethics graduates make about $39,971. That is a strong return on a $26,247 median debt. Roughly 61% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Loyola University Chicago earned it the #4 place for applied & professional ethics. Loyola University Chicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $53,710. Typical student debt for applied & professional ethics graduates is $25,530. Soon after graduation, applied & professional ethics degree recipients from Loyola University Chicago generally make around $58,568. Set against $25,530 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 82% 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 · 11 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.
