2027 Best Value General Human Services Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[General Human Services](/majors/social-services-public-administration/human-services/human-services-general/) 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 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools to find the best return on investment for general human services students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value General Human Services Schools in the Great Lakes Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general human services degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Human Services Schools
Joliet Junior College tops our 2027 list of the best value general human services schools in the Great Lakes Region. Set in the suburb of Joliet, Joliet Junior College is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,530, with out-of-state students paying around $13,800. General Human Services graduates carry a median of $11,995 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general human services degree recipients from Joliet Junior College generally make around $40,118. That is a strong return on a $11,995 median debt.
Elgin Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general human services, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Elgin, Elgin Community College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $3,252, while out-of-state students pay about $9,516. General Human Services graduates carry a median of $7,727 in student loans. Early-career general human services graduates make about $43,975. Set against $7,727 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Purdue University Global earned it the #3 place for general human services. Purdue University Global is a very large public school located in the city of West Lafayette. In-state tuition and fees average $10,101, compared with $14,412 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $36,516 to complete the general human services program here. General Human Services graduates of Purdue University Global earn a median of $33,875 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #4 makes Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne one of the best values for general human services. Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Fort Wayne. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,532, compared with $22,887 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,119 to complete the general human services program here. Soon after graduation, general human services degree recipients from Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne generally make around $49,424. That is a strong return on a $24,119 median debt. Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne admits about 84% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh earned it the #5 place for general human services. Located in the city of Oshkosh, University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $8,532, while out-of-state students pay about $16,446. Students borrow a median of $24,619 to complete the general human services program here. General Human Services graduates of University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh earn a median of $50,590 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,619 median debt. University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh admits about 86% of applicants.
Indiana Wesleyan University National And Global earned the #6 position for value in general human services this year. Located in the rural area of Marion, Indiana Wesleyan University National And Global is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,648. General Human Services graduates carry a median of $40,228 in student loans. General Human Services graduates of Indiana Wesleyan University National And Global earn a median of $37,366 early in their careers. Set against $40,228 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Grace Bible College came in at #7 for value in general human services this year. Set in the city of Wyoming, Grace Bible College is a small private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $17,190. Typical student debt for general human services graduates is $28,648. Soon after graduation, general human services degree recipients from Grace Bible College generally make around $35,205. That is a strong return on a $28,648 median debt. Grace Bible College admits about 99% of applicants.
Ohio Christian University came in at #8 for value in general human services this year. Set in the rural area of Circleville, Ohio Christian University is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $19,190. Students borrow a median of $29,940 to complete the general human services program here. General Human Services graduates of Ohio Christian University earn a median of $45,829 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $29,940 median debt. Roughly 38% of applicants are accepted.
Ohio University Main Campus ranked #9 on our 2027 list of the best value general human services schools. Ohio University Main Campus is a very large public school located in the town of Athens. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,158, while out-of-state students pay about $24,838. General Human Services graduates carry a median of $24,546 in student loans. Early-career general human services graduates make about $49,736. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Ohio University Main Campus admits about 85% of applicants.
Herzing University Madison earned the #10 position for value in general human services this year. Set in the city of Madison, Herzing University Madison is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,450. General Human Services graduates carry a median of $30,328 in student loans. General Human Services graduates of Herzing University Madison earn a median of $53,203 early in their careers. Set against $30,328 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 94%.
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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 · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 10 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.
