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2026 Best Value Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Great Lakes Region

[Urban Studies/Affairs](/majors/social-sciences/urban-studies/urban-studies-affairs/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 23 schools to find the best return on investment for urban studies/affairs students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Great Lakes Region

2026 Best Value Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Great Lakes Region

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the urban studies/affairs degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Urban Studies/Affairs Schools

1

Wayne State University
Detroit, MI

$16,159 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,205 Avg Student Debt

$53,493 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is Wayne State University, our #1 best value for urban studies/affairs in the Great Lakes Region. Wayne State University is a very large public school located in the city of Detroit. Students from in state pay about $16,159 in tuition and fees, compared with $34,650 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,205 to complete the urban studies/affairs program here. Early-career urban studies/affairs graduates make about $43,811. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Wayne State University admits about 81% of applicants.

2

Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH

$12,982 In-State Tuition & Fees

$32,083 Avg Student Debt

$52,131 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes Cleveland State University one of the best values for urban studies/affairs. Cleveland State University is a large public school located in the city of Cleveland. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,982, with out-of-state students paying around $18,502. Urban Studies/affairs graduates carry a median of $32,083 in student loans. Early-career urban studies/affairs graduates make about $38,929. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Cleveland State University admits about 91% of applicants.

View All Urban Studies/Affairs Rankings >

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 23 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.