2023 Best Value Colleges for Child Development & Psychology (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
19
Ranked Colleges
1,633
Degrees Awarded
$14,300
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Child Development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 17,542 people earned their degree in child development and psychology, making the major the 57th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, child development and psychology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,186 and had an average of $22,623 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Plains States region, there were 1,633 child development and psychology graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,872 and $22,258 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Child Development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered a degree in child development and psychology. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great child development and psychology programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the child development and psychology program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Child Development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Child Development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region child development students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 19 Best Value Colleges for Child Development & Psychology (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Child Development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington University in St Louis landed the #1 spot on the list. WUSTL is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 210 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.
WUSTL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $1,556 for plains states region child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WUSTL.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Washington University in St Louis
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Child Development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 174 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.
UMN Twin Cities not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $7,698 for Plains States Region Child Development students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Child Development & Psychology Report
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Child Development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #3 spot on the list. Mizzou is a large school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 20 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.
Mizzou did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Columbia is $11,005 for plains states region child development students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Mizzou Child Development & Psychology Report
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Child Development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, St Olaf College landed the #4 spot on the list. St Olaf College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Northfield, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 74 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
St. Olaf not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $11,112 for Plains States Region Child Development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend St Olaf College.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at St Olaf College
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Child Development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, North Dakota State University - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Fargo, North Dakota, this fairly large public school awarded 2 degrees to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Dakota State University, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $11,835 for Plains States Region Child Development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Child Development & Psychology at North Dakota State University
With a ranking of #6, University of Kansas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lawrence, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 58 students in 2020-2021.
KU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,666 for Plains States Region Child Development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Kansas.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at KU
With a ranking of #7, Northwest Missouri State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Maryville, Missouri, and it awarded 68 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwest not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $9,906 for Plains States Region Child Development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwest.
Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Northwest
University of Central Missouri landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Warrensburg, Missouri, this fairly large public school awarded 69 degrees to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region child development students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCM has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Central Missouri is $11,006 for plains states region child development students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at University of Central Missouri
Park University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Parkville, Missouri, and it awarded 257 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.
Park University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Park University is $13,020 for Plains States Region Child Development students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Park University
Kansas State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Child Development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Manhattan, Kansas, and it awarded 108 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.
K -State also made our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for K -State is $13,436 for plains states region child development students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Kansas State University
Luther College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Child Development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Luther College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Decorah, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Luther did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $21,838 for plains states region child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Luther.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Luther College Child Development & Psychology Report
With a ranking of #12, Saint Louis University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. SLU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 12 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region child development students whose families make $0-$30k list, SLU has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,136 for Plains States Region Child Development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Saint Louis University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at SLU
With a ranking of #13, Capella University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Capella University is a large private for-profit school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 143 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.
Capella University also made our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Capella University is $16,410 for Plains States Region Child Development students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Capella University
With a ranking of #14, University of Nebraska at Kearney did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNK is located in Kearney, Nebraska and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 43 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our plains states region child development students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNK has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska at Kearney is $14,087 for Plains States Region Child Development students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Child Development & Psychology at University of Nebraska at Kearney
Metropolitan State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child Development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Metro State is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Metro State, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,794 for plains states region child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Metro State.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Metropolitan State University
Augsburg University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child Development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 degrees to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Augsburg, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $20,989 for Plains States Region Child Development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Augsburg University.
Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Augsburg
Cornell College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Mount Vernon, Iowa, and it awarded 2 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cornell College, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,806 for plains states region child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cornell College.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Cornell College
Creighton University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Omaha, Nebraska, and it awarded 93 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.
Creighton also made our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Creighton is $23,398 for Plains States Region Child Development students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Creighton University
Maryville University of Saint Louis ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Child Development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.
Maryville U also took the #18 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Maryville University of Saint Louis is $21,442 for Plains States Region Child Development students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Maryville U
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Notes and References
References
- 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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