2027 Best Value Child Development & Psychology Schools in Pennsylvania
[Child Development & Psychology](/majors/psychology/child-development-psychology/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong child development & psychology education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 15 schools to find the best return on investment for child development & psychology students.
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2027 Best Value Child Development & Psychology Schools in Pennsylvania
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 Pennsylvania Western University, our #1 best value for child development & psychology in Pennsylvania. Located in the town of California, Pennsylvania Western University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $11,436 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $16,054. Typical student debt for child development & psychology graduates is $28,263. Early-career child development & psychology graduates make about $33,330. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 94%.
Students looking for strong value in child development & psychology will find it at Pennsylvania State University Penn State Abington, which ranked #2. Pennsylvania State University Penn State Abington is a mid-sized public school located in the suburb of Abington. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,268, compared with $25,664 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for child development & psychology graduates is $27,000. Child Development & Psychology graduates of Pennsylvania State University Penn State Abington earn a median of $34,375 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Pennsylvania State University Penn State Abington admits about 97% of applicants.
Swarthmore College came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value child development & psychology schools. Set in the suburb of Swarthmore, Swarthmore College is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $65,494. Students borrow a median of $19,500 to complete the child development & psychology program here. Early-career child development & psychology graduates make about $66,971. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 8%.
Haverford College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in child development & psychology, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Haverford, Haverford College is a small private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $70,398. Graduates go on to earn a median of $79,966 ten years after entry. Roughly 12% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Pennsylvania came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value child development & psychology schools. Set in the city of Philadelphia, University Of Pennsylvania is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $68,686. Child Development & Psychology graduates carry a median of $18,125 in student loans. Child Development & Psychology graduates of University Of Pennsylvania earn a median of $45,674 early in their careers. Set against $18,125 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 5%.
Temple University landed the #6 spot for child development & psychology value this year. Located in the city of Philadelphia, Temple University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $23,005, while out-of-state students pay about $38,805. Students borrow a median of $26,259 to complete the child development & psychology program here. Early-career child development & psychology graduates make about $54,642. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Temple University admits about 80% of applicants.
University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus came in at #7 for value in child development & psychology this year. Located in the city of Pittsburgh, University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $21,926, with out-of-state students paying around $41,430. Typical student debt for child development & psychology graduates is $24,958. Early-career child development & psychology graduates make about $56,926. That is a strong return on a $24,958 median debt. The acceptance rate is 58%.
Thomas Jefferson University ranked #8 on our 2027 list of the best value child development & psychology schools. Located in the city of Philadelphia, Thomas Jefferson University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $47,355 in tuition and fees. Child Development & Psychology graduates carry a median of $32,256 in student loans. Soon after graduation, child development & psychology degree recipients from Thomas Jefferson University generally make around $64,243. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Thomas Jefferson University admits about 81% of applicants.
Gettysburg College landed the #9 spot for child development & psychology value this year. Set in the town of Gettysburg, Gettysburg College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $66,640. Child Development & Psychology graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Child Development & Psychology graduates of Gettysburg College earn a median of $41,599 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 39% of applicants are accepted.
Pennsylvania State University Main Campus earned the #10 position for value in child development & psychology this year. Located in the city of University Park, Pennsylvania State University Main Campus is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $20,644, while out-of-state students pay about $41,790. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the child development & psychology program here. Soon after graduation, child development & psychology degree recipients from Pennsylvania State University Main Campus generally make around $34,375. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Pennsylvania State University Main Campus admits about 61% of applicants.
Lafayette College landed the #11 spot for child development & psychology value this year. Located in the suburb of Easton, Lafayette College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $64,648 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for child development & psychology graduates is $16,931. Early-career child development & psychology graduates make about $59,513. That is a strong return on a $16,931 median debt. Lafayette College admits about 31% of applicants.
Lehigh University landed the #12 spot for child development & psychology value this year. Lehigh University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Bethlehem. In-state tuition and fees average $64,980. Students borrow a median of $23,008 to complete the child development & psychology program here. Early-career child development & psychology graduates make about $70,321. Set against $23,008 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Lehigh University admits about 26% of applicants.
Duquesne University placed #13 among the best values for child development & psychology. Duquesne University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Pittsburgh. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $48,986. Child Development & Psychology graduates carry a median of $26,297 in student loans. Soon after graduation, child development & psychology degree recipients from Duquesne University generally make around $54,826. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
Drexel University landed the #14 spot for child development & psychology value this year. Set in the city of Philadelphia, Drexel University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $62,412. Typical student debt for child development & psychology graduates is $28,838. Early-career child development & psychology graduates make about $67,556. Set against $28,838 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Drexel University admits about 79% of applicants.
Villanova University landed the #15 spot for child development & psychology value this year. Located in the suburb of Villanova, Villanova University is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $67,776. Students borrow a median of $26,250 to complete the child development & psychology program here. Child Development & Psychology graduates of Villanova University earn a median of $39,218 early in their careers. Set against $26,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 27%.
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 · 15 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 15 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.
