[Community Organization & Advocacy](/majors/social-services-public-administration/community-organization-and-advocacy/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 163 schools to find the best return on investment for community organization & advocacy students.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the community organization & advocacy degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in community organization & advocacy, no school beat Cuny Borough Of Manhattan Community College this year. Located in the city of New York, Cuny Borough Of Manhattan Community College is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,170, with out-of-state students paying around $8,050. Community Organization & Advocacy graduates carry a median of $7,860 in student loans. Community Organization & Advocacy graduates of Cuny Borough Of Manhattan Community College earn a median of $33,854 early in their careers. Set against $7,860 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Washtenaw Community College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value community organization & advocacy schools. Located in the suburb of Ann Arbor, Washtenaw Community College is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,736, while out-of-state students pay about $6,504. Typical student debt for community organization & advocacy graduates is $22,500. Early-career community organization & advocacy graduates make about $45,332. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in community organization & advocacy will find it at Kellogg Community College, which ranked #3. Kellogg Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Battle Creek. In-state tuition and fees average $4,118, with out-of-state students paying around $8,282. Typical student debt for community organization & advocacy graduates is $20,432. Early-career community organization & advocacy graduates make about $32,616. Set against $20,432 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Suny Empire State College earned it the #4 place for community organization & advocacy. Located in the suburb of Saratoga Springs, Suny Empire State College is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,648, compared with $17,558 for out-of-state students. Community Organization & Advocacy graduates carry a median of $28,623 in student loans. Community Organization & Advocacy graduates of Suny Empire State College earn a median of $45,544 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in community organization & advocacy will find it at Des Moines Area Community College, which ranked #5. Des Moines Area Community College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Ankeny. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,790, with out-of-state students paying around $6,690. Typical student debt for community organization & advocacy graduates is $23,320. Early-career community organization & advocacy graduates make about $26,312. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Explore the best-value community organization & advocacy schools at other degree levels:
View All Community Organization & Advocacy Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 163 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
