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2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

26 Ranked Colleges
2,522 Degrees Awarded
$11,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Child Development & Psychology is the 57th most popular major in the country with 17,542 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, child development and psychology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,186 and had an average of $22,623 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 2,522 child development and psychology graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,180 and $21,143 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 26 colleges that offered a degree in child development and psychology. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality child development and psychology programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the child development and psychology program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Child Development & Psychology (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

1
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 122 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,500 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at University of Chicago

2

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #2 spot on the list. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 749 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $2,670 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend U-M.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at U-M

3
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 22 degrees to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $245 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Northwestern

4

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 622 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also took the #5 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $4,858 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at UIUC

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region child development students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $3,981 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at UW - Madison

6
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

With a ranking of #6, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 272 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,995 for Great Lakes Region Child Development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus Child Development & Psychology Report

7
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Notre Dame is located in Notre Dame, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.

Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Notre Dame is $9,872 for Great Lakes Region Child Development students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at University of Notre Dame

8

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ohio State is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 49 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

Ohio State also made our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $7,068 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Ohio State University - Main Campus

9
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ball State is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 24 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ball State, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $8,273 for Great Lakes Region Child Development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Ball State University

10

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school handed out 1 degrees to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

IUPUI also made our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $7,026 for Great Lakes Region Child Development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

11
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

With a ranking of #11, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Central Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 5 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Central Michigan, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan University is $10,805 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Central Michigan Child Development & Psychology Report

12
Albion crest
Albion College
Albion, Michigan

With a ranking of #12, Albion College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Albion, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 26 diplomas to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Albion, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Albion College is $10,452 for Great Lakes Region Child Development students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Albion College

13
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

With a ranking of #13, Western Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Western Michigan University is a fairly large school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan that handed out 2 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

WMU also took the #17 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,112 for Great Lakes Region Child Development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WMU.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Western Michigan University

14

With a ranking of #14, Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s child development degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.

Illinois Tech also took the #10 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $18,515 for Great Lakes Region Child Development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois Institute of Technology.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois Tech Child Development & Psychology Report

15

Kent State University at Kent ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Kent State is a large school located in Kent, Ohio that handed out 15 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

Kent State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Kent State is $13,793 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Kent State

16

University of Michigan - Flint landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Michigan - Flint is a public institution located in Flint, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Flint is $7,797 for Great Lakes Region Child Development students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at UM Flint

17
Lake Forest crest
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Lake Forest College is a small school located in Lake Forest, Illinois that handed out 46 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

Lake Forest also made our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest is $15,933 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Lake Forest College

18
Denison crest
Denison University
Granville, Ohio

With a ranking of #18, Denison University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Granville, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 34 degrees to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

Denison also took the #11 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,242 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Denison.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Denison University

19
Knox crest
Knox College
Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Knox College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Galesburg, Illinois. It awarded 19 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

Knox did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Knox College is $15,657 for Great Lakes Region Child Development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Knox College

20
Detroit Mercy crest
University of Detroit Mercy
Detroit, Michigan

University of Detroit Mercy landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Detroit Mercy is located in Detroit, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Detroit Mercy, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,056 for Great Lakes Region Child Development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Detroit Mercy.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Detroit Mercy

21

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 1 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

UC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $15,061 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Child Development & Psychology Report

22

Ohio University - Athens Campus ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. OHIO Athens is a large school located in Athens, Ohio that handed out 7 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at OHIO Athens, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend OHIO Athens is $17,614 for Great Lakes Region Child Development students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Ohio University - Athens Campus

23
Cornerstone crest
Cornerstone University
Grand Rapids, Michigan

With a ranking of #23, Cornerstone University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and it awarded 9 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cornerstone, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cornerstone is $17,675 for Great Lakes Region Child Development students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cornerstone Child Development & Psychology Report

24
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Loyola University Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.

Loyola Chicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Loyola University Chicago is $29,263 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Loyola University Chicago Child Development & Psychology Report

25
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s child development degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

DePaul not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul University is $27,123 for great lakes region child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at DePaul

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