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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Child Development & Psychology in the Plains States Region

18 Ranked Colleges
1,011 Degrees Awarded
$22,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Child Development Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Child Development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Child Development & Psychology is the 72nd most popular major in the country with 15,161 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, child development and psychology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $32,673 and had an average of $25,889 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 1,446 child development and psychology graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,800 and $26,821 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,011 child development and psychology graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Child Development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking, we looked at 18 colleges that offer 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Child Development & Psychology Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Child Development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Child Development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Child Development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region.

Top 18 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Child Development & Psychology in the Plains States Region

#1

Park University

Parkville, Missouri

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Park University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Child Development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. Park University is located in Parkville, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 233 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

Park University also took the #15 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Park University is $15,579 for plains states region bachelor’s degree child development students.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Park University

#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Child Development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. North Dakota State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Fargo, North Dakota. It awarded 2 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Dakota State University, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,584 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Child Development students per year to attend North Dakota State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full North Dakota State University - Main Campus Child Development & Psychology Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwest Missouri State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Child Development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Northwest is a public institution located in Maryville, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwest also took the #16 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwest is $12,354 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Child Development students.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Northwest

#4

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas
#9 in overall quality

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Child Development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Kansas State University landed the #4 spot on the list. K -State is a large public school situated in Manhattan, Kansas. It awarded 80 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at K -State, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for K -State is $18,285 for plains states region bachelor’s degree child development students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full K -State Child Development & Psychology Report

#5

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, Missouri

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Central Missouri. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Child Development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. This medium-sized school is located in Warrensburg, Missouri, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

UCM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Child Development & Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Central Missouri is $13,677 for plains states region bachelor’s degree child development students.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at UCM

#6

Metropolitan State University

Saint Paul, Minnesota

With a ranking of #6, Metropolitan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Child Development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

Metro State also took the #17 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Metro State is $15,225 for plains states region bachelor’s degree child development students.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Metropolitan State University

#7

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas
#11 in overall quality

University of Kansas landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child Development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Kansas is a public institution located in Lawrence, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

KU also made our “Best Child Development & Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $18,918 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Child Development students per year to attend KU.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full KU Child Development & Psychology Report

#8

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child Development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 104 degrees to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMN Twin Cities is $17,740 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Child Development students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#9

Maryville University of Saint Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#14 in overall quality

Maryville University of Saint Louis ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Child Development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Maryville U is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Maryville U, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $29,064 for plains states region bachelor’s degree child development students per year to attend Maryville University of Saint Louis.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Maryville University of Saint Louis

#10

Augsburg University

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#12 in overall quality

Augsburg University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Child Development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2019-2020.

Augsburg also took the #12 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Augsburg University is $24,653 for plains states region bachelor’s degree child development students.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Augsburg University

#11

Creighton University

Omaha, Nebraska
#8 in overall quality

Creighton University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child Development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Omaha, Nebraska, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 76 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2019-2020.

Creighton also made our “Best Child Development & Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $31,400 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Child Development students per year to attend Creighton.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The 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 full report on Child Development & Psychology at Creighton University

#12

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa
#5 in overall quality

Luther College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Child Development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #12. Luther is located in Decorah, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Luther, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Luther is $23,620 for plains states region bachelor’s degree child development students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Luther Child Development & Psychology Report

#13

Cornell College

Mount Vernon, Iowa
#13 in overall quality

Cornell College landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child Development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Mount Vernon, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree child development students list, Cornell College has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell College is $26,901 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Child Development students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Cornell College

#14

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota
#4 in overall quality

St Olaf College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Child Development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. St Olaf College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northfield, Minnesota. It awarded 65 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Olaf also took the #4 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $23,543 for plains states region bachelor’s degree child development students per year to attend St. Olaf.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full St Olaf College Child Development & Psychology Report

#15

Grinnell College

Grinnell, Iowa
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Grinnell College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Child Development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Grinnell, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree child development students list, Grinnell has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Grinnell College is $22,486 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Child Development students.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Grinnell

#16

Macalester College

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#6 in overall quality

Macalester College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child Development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

Macalester not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Child Development & Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Macalester is $28,426 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Child Development students.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 Macalester Child Development & Psychology Report

#17

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#1 in overall quality

Washington University in St Louis came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child Development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Washington University in St Louis is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 148 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

WUSTL also took the #1 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Washington University in St Louis is $26,869 for plains states region bachelor’s degree child development students.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at WUSTL

#18

Carleton College

Northfield, Minnesota
#2 in overall quality

Carleton College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Child Development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Carleton is a private not-for-profit institution located in Northfield, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Carleton also made our “Best Child Development & Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $31,133 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Child Development students per year to attend Carleton.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Carleton Child Development & Psychology Report

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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

Footnotes

  • *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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