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2023 Best Value Colleges for Child Development & Psychology (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

26 Ranked Colleges
2,522 Degrees Awarded
$12,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Great Lakes region, there were 2,522 child development and psychology graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,180 and $21,143 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 26 colleges that offered a degree in child development and psychology. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality child development and psychology programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

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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 Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” 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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region child development students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Child Development & Psychology (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

1
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 122 degrees to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

UChicago also made our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $4,777 for Great Lakes Region Child Development students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at University of Chicago

2
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #2 spot on the list. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 22 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $917 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern University.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%.

Full Northwestern University Child Development & Psychology Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 749 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M also took the #3 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $5,670 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full U-M Child Development & Psychology Report

4
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 272 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region child development students whose families make $30-$48k list, Purdue has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,853 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Purdue

5

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison also made our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $4,788 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Child Development & Psychology Report

6

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 622 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region child development students whose families make $30-$48k list, UIUC has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,036 for Great Lakes Region Child Development students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at UIUC

7
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Notre Dame also took the #1 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Notre Dame is $9,136 for Great Lakes Region Child Development students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at University of Notre Dame

8

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 49 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

Ohio State also made our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $8,581 for Great Lakes Region Child Development students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Ohio State Child Development & Psychology Report

9
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Muncie, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 24 students in 2020-2021.

Ball State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $10,786 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Ball State University Child Development & Psychology Report

10

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. IUPUI is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.

IUPUI also took the #23 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,216 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis.

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 IUPUI

11
Denison crest
Denison University
Granville, Ohio

Denison University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Granville, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s child development degrees to 34 students in 2020-2021.

Denison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Denison University is $14,686 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 Denison

12
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and it awarded 5 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

Central Michigan also made our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $12,346 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Central Michigan.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 Central Michigan

13
Albion crest
Albion College
Albion, Michigan

Albion College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Albion, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 26 degrees to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

Albion also took the #20 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Albion College is $12,732 for Great Lakes Region Child Development students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Albion College Child Development & Psychology Report

14

University of Michigan - Flint landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Michigan - Flint is located in Flint, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for UM Flint is $8,952 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at University of Michigan - Flint

15

Illinois Institute of Technology landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 13 degrees to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

Illinois Tech also took the #10 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Tech is $21,101 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Illinois Institute of Technology Child Development & Psychology Report

16
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

With a ranking of #16, Western Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Kalamazoo, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

WMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,552 for Great Lakes Region Child Development students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Western Michigan University.

Full WMU Child Development & Psychology Report

17

With a ranking of #17, Kent State University at Kent did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Kent State is a large public school situated in Kent, Ohio. It awarded 15 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

Kent State also took the #18 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,021 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Kent State University at Kent.

Full Kent State Child Development & Psychology Report

18
Lake Forest crest
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Lake Forest College is a small school located in Lake Forest, Illinois that handed out 46 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

Lake Forest also made our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest College is $16,238 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.

Full Lake Forest Child Development & Psychology Report

19

University of Detroit Mercy did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Detroit Mercy is a medium-sized school located in Detroit, Michigan that handed out 1 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

Detroit Mercy also took the #24 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Detroit Mercy is $12,694 for Great Lakes Region Child Development students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Detroit Mercy Child Development & Psychology Report

20
Knox crest
Knox College
Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Galesburg, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s child development degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region child development students whose families make $30-$48k list, Knox has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Knox College is $12,233 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Knox College Child Development & Psychology Report

21

Ohio University - Athens Campus ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Athens, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region child development students whose families make $30-$48k list, OHIO Athens has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for OHIO Athens is $18,991 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at OHIO Athens

22

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 1 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,966 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 UC

23
Cornerstone crest
Cornerstone University
Grand Rapids, Michigan

With a ranking of #23, Cornerstone University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cornerstone University is a small school located in Grand Rapids, Michigan that handed out 9 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

Cornerstone also made our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $18,391 for Great Lakes Region Child Development students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cornerstone University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Cornerstone University Child Development & Psychology Report

24

University of Dayton did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. This fairly large school is located in Dayton, Ohio, and it awarded 1 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

UDayton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UDayton is $20,992 for Great Lakes Region Child Development students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at UDayton

25
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 7 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region child development students whose families make $30-$48k list, DePaul has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul is $27,252 for Great Lakes Region Child Development students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 DePaul

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