2027 Best Value Child Development & Psychology Schools in Illinois
[Child Development & Psychology](/majors/psychology/child-development-psychology/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for child development & psychology students.
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2027 Best Value Child Development & Psychology Schools in Illinois
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the child development & psychology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Child Development & Psychology Schools
Leading the list is University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, our #1 best value for child development & psychology in Illinois. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $18,267, with out-of-state students paying around $40,096. Typical student debt for child development & psychology graduates is $20,050. Child Development & Psychology graduates of University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn a median of $33,384 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $20,050 median debt. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign admits about 42% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Chicago one of the best values for child development & psychology. University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $69,324. Students borrow a median of $17,500 to complete the child development & psychology program here. Soon after graduation, child development & psychology degree recipients from University Of Chicago generally make around $31,986. That is a strong return on a $17,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 4%.
Illinois Institute Of Technology is a great value for students pursuing a degree in child development & psychology, landing the #3 spot this year. Illinois Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Students from in state pay about $52,202 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for child development & psychology graduates is $26,774. Soon after graduation, child development & psychology degree recipients from Illinois Institute Of Technology generally make around $71,315. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Illinois Institute Of Technology admits about 55% of applicants.
Knox College came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value child development & psychology schools. Set in the town of Galesburg, Knox College is a small private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $57,903 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the child development & psychology program here. Child Development & Psychology graduates of Knox College earn a median of $27,822 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Knox College admits about 71% of applicants.
Lake Forest College came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value child development & psychology schools. Lake Forest College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Lake Forest. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $56,402. Child Development & Psychology graduates carry a median of $26,839 in student loans. Early-career child development & psychology graduates make about $41,168. That is a strong return on a $26,839 median debt. Lake Forest College admits about 57% of applicants.
Northwestern University came in at #6 for value in child development & psychology this year. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,322. Typical student debt for child development & psychology graduates is $16,616. Soon after graduation, child development & psychology degree recipients from Northwestern University generally make around $78,551. That is a strong return on a $16,616 median debt. Roughly 8% of applicants are accepted.
Depaul University landed the #7 spot for child development & psychology value this year. Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. In-state tuition and fees average $45,405. Students borrow a median of $25,340 to complete the child development & psychology program here. Early-career child development & psychology graduates make about $55,390. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 76%.
More Child Development & Psychology Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 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.
