2027 Best Value Human Services Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Human Services](/majors/social-services-public-administration/human-services/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong human services education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools to find the best return on investment for human services students.
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2027 Best Value Human Services Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in human services, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Human Services Schools
For return on investment in human services, no school beat Joliet Junior College this year. Joliet Junior College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Joliet. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,530, compared with $13,800 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for human services graduates is $11,995. Soon after graduation, human services degree recipients from Joliet Junior College generally make around $40,118. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in human services will find it at Elgin Community College, which ranked #2. Elgin Community College is a large public school located in the city of Elgin. In-state tuition and fees average $3,252, with out-of-state students paying around $9,516. Human Services graduates carry a median of $7,727 in student loans. Human Services graduates of Elgin Community College earn a median of $43,975 early in their careers. Set against $7,727 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Purdue University Global is a great value for students pursuing a degree in human services, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue University Global is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,101, while out-of-state students pay about $14,412. Students borrow a median of $36,516 to complete the human services program here. Soon after graduation, human services degree recipients from Purdue University Global generally make around $33,875. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in human services will find it at Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $9,532 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $22,887. Human Services graduates carry a median of $24,119 in student loans. Early-career human services graduates make about $49,424. That is a strong return on a $24,119 median debt. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #5 makes University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh one of the best values for 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 human services program here. Early-career human services graduates make about $50,590. That is a strong return on a $24,619 median debt. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Indiana Wesleyan University National And Global landed the #6 spot for human services value this year. Indiana Wesleyan University National And Global is a large private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Marion. In-state tuition and fees average $9,648. Human Services graduates carry a median of $40,228 in student loans. Early-career human services graduates make about $37,366. That is a strong return on a $40,228 median debt.
Grace Bible College came in at #7 for value in human services this year. Located in the city of Wyoming, Grace Bible College is a small private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $17,190. Typical student debt for human services graduates is $28,648. Early-career human services graduates make about $35,205. That is a strong return on a $28,648 median debt. The acceptance rate is 99%.
Ohio Christian University landed the #8 spot for human services value this year. Located in the rural area of Circleville, Ohio Christian University is a small private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $19,190 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $29,940 to complete the human services program here. Early-career human services graduates make about $45,829. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Ohio Christian University admits about 38% of applicants.
Ohio University Main Campus placed #9 among the best values for human services. Set in the town of Athens, Ohio University Main Campus is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $14,158, while out-of-state students pay about $24,838. Students borrow a median of $24,546 to complete the human services program here. Human Services graduates of Ohio University Main Campus earn a median of $49,736 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,546 median debt. Ohio University Main Campus admits about 85% of applicants.
Herzing University Madison landed the #10 spot for human services value this year. Set in the city of Madison, Herzing University Madison is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,450. Students borrow a median of $30,328 to complete the human services program here. Soon after graduation, human services degree recipients from Herzing University Madison generally make around $53,203. Set against $30,328 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Herzing University Madison admits about 94% of applicants.
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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 · 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.
