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2027 Best Value Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Great Lakes Region

[Urban Studies/Affairs](/majors/social-sciences/urban-studies/urban-studies-affairs/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 2 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for urban studies/affairs students.

What’s on this page:

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

2027 Best Value Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in urban studies/affairs, balancing cost against outcomes.

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)

For return on investment in urban studies/affairs, no school beat Wayne State University this year. Located in the city of Detroit, Wayne State University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,159, compared with $34,650 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,205 to complete the urban studies/affairs program here. Urban Studies/affairs graduates of Wayne State University earn a median of $43,811 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.

2

Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH

$12,982 In-State Tuition & Fees

$32,083 Avg Student Debt

$52,131 Median Earnings (10yr)

Cleveland State University came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value urban studies/affairs schools. Located in the city of Cleveland, Cleveland State University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,982, while out-of-state students pay about $18,502. Typical student debt for urban studies/affairs graduates is $32,083. Early-career urban studies/affairs graduates make about $38,929. That is a strong return on a $32,083 median debt. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.

View All Urban Studies/Affairs Rankings >

Notes and References

This ranking is produced 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 · 2 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.