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2023 Best Value Colleges for Child Development & Psychology

186 Ranked Colleges
17,542 Degrees Awarded
$16,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Child Development Schools

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Child Development Schools” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Child Development Schools” ranking, we looked at 186 colleges that offer a degree in child development and psychology. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent child development and psychology programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the child development and psychology program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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The child development school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Child Development Schools”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Child Development Schools

The colleges and universities below are the best for child development students.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Child Development & Psychology

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brigham Young University - Provo. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Child Development Schools. BYU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Provo, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 37 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Provo is $13,474 for Child Development students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at BYU

2
Park University crest
Park University
Parkville, Missouri

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Park University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Child Development Schools. Parkville, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s child development degrees to 257 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,619 for Child Development students per year to attend Park University.

Full Park University Child Development & Psychology Report

3
Capella University crest
Capella University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Capella University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Child Development Schools. Capella University is a large private for-profit school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 143 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Capella University is $16,545 for child development students.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Capella University

4

Out of the 186 schools in the Best Value Child Development Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, North Dakota State University - Main Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Fargo, North Dakota, and it awarded 2 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for North Dakota State University is $16,998 for child development students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at North Dakota State University

5
Walden University crest
Walden University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Out of the 186 schools in the Best Value Child Development Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, Walden University landed the #5 spot on the list. Walden University is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 76 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Walden University

6
Texas Tech crest
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Lubbock, Texas, this large public school handed out 23 diplomas to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $16,194 for child development students per year to attend Texas Tech University.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 Texas Tech University

7
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas

University of Houston did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Houston, Texas, this large public school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,721 for child development students per year to attend University of Houston.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Houston Child Development & Psychology Report

8

University of North Texas came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child Development Schools ranking. University of North Texas is a large school located in Denton, Texas that handed out 3 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of North Texas is $14,122 for child development students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at UNT

9
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #9, Loyola University Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools list. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 6 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Loyola Chicago is $36,434 for Child Development students.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Loyola Chicago

10
SLU crest
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, Missouri

Saint Louis University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools ranking, coming in at #10. Saint Louis University is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $25,039 for Child Development students per year to attend Saint Louis University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Saint Louis University

11
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University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child Development Schools ranking. University of North Florida is a fairly large school located in Jacksonville, Florida that handed out 384 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UNF is $8,865 for Child Development students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 UNF Child Development & Psychology Report

12

Texas A&M University - College Station came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child Development Schools ranking. College Station, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $18,919 for Child Development students per year to attend Texas A&M University - College Station.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Texas A&M University - College Station

13
The Graduate Center crest
The Graduate Center, CUNY
New York, New York

The Graduate Center, CUNY ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Child Development Schools list. The Graduate Center, CUNY is located in New York, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 38 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.

The Graduate Center also took the #23 spot in our “Best Child Development & Psychology Schools” ranking.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at The Graduate Center, CUNY

14

With a ranking of #14, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools list. UT Rio Grande Valley is a large public school situated in Edinburg, Texas. It awarded 7 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UT Rio Grande Valley is $3,743 for Child Development students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

15

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Child Development Schools list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $17,234 for child development students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at University of Wisconsin - Madison

16

With a ranking of #16, University of Nevada - Reno did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools list. Located in Reno, Nevada, this large public school handed out 50 diplomas to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,930 for Child Development students per year to attend UNR.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.

Full UNR Child Development & Psychology Report

17
Montclair State crest
Montclair State University
Montclair, New Jersey

Montclair State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child Development Schools ranking. Montclair State University is a public institution located in Montclair, New Jersey. The school has a large population, and it awarded 462 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Montclair State University is $17,381 for Child Development students.

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 Montclair State University Child Development & Psychology Report

18
Metro State crest
Metropolitan State University
Saint Paul, Minnesota

With a ranking of #18, Metropolitan State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools list. Metro State is a medium-sized school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 15 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Metro State is $16,044 for child development students.

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 full report on Child Development & Psychology at Metro State

19

Northwest Missouri State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Child Development Schools list. Northwest is a medium-sized school located in Maryville, Missouri that handed out 68 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Northwest Missouri State University is $12,925 for Child Development students.

Full Northwest Missouri State University Child Development & Psychology Report

20
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 5 degrees to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $16,007 for child development students per year to attend Central Michigan.

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%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Central Michigan

21
Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, Texas

Texas State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools ranking, coming in at #21. Texas State University is a public institution located in San Marcos, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,887 for Child Development students per year to attend Texas State.

Read more about Child Development & Psychology at Texas State

22
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Child Development Schools list. This large school is located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and it awarded 367 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for U of U is $13,572 for Child Development students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full University of Utah Child Development & Psychology Report

23
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools ranking, coming in at #23. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 272 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,377 for Child Development students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at Purdue

24
UCM crest
University of Central Missouri
Warrensburg, Missouri

With a ranking of #24, University of Central Missouri did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Child Development Schools list. This fairly large school is located in Warrensburg, Missouri, and it awarded 69 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UCM is $14,058 for child development students.

Read full report on Child Development & Psychology at UCM

25
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child Development Schools ranking. Kalamazoo, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend WMU is $20,371 for child development students.

Full WMU Child Development & Psychology Report

Rest of the Best 28 in Best Value Child Development Schools

Not only did these schools make the top 28 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
27
Henderson State University crest
Henderson State University
Arkadelphia, Arkansas
28

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Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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