2026 Best Value Accounting and Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Accounting and Finance](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/accounting/accounting-and-finance/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong accounting and finance education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 15 schools to find the best return on investment for accounting and finance students.
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2026 Best Value Accounting and Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in accounting and finance, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Accounting and Finance Schools
For return on investment in accounting and finance, no school beat Stark State College this year. Set in the suburb of North Canton, Stark State College is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,790, while out-of-state students pay about $7,886. Students borrow a median of $19,455 to complete the accounting and finance program here. Accounting And Finance graduates of Stark State College earn a median of $38,671 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $19,455 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in accounting and finance will find it at Ferris State University, which ranked #2. Located in the town of Big Rapids, Ferris State University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $14,778 in tuition and fees. Accounting And Finance graduates carry a median of $25,838 in student loans. Soon after graduation, accounting and finance degree recipients from Ferris State University generally make around $46,359. That is a strong return on a $25,838 median debt. Ferris State University admits about 91% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Indiana Wesleyan University National And Global earned it the #3 place for accounting and finance. Set in the rural area of Marion, Indiana Wesleyan University National And Global is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,648. Students borrow a median of $31,946 to complete the accounting and finance program here. Accounting And Finance graduates of Indiana Wesleyan University National And Global earn a median of $53,752 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $31,946 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Northern Michigan University earned it the #4 place for accounting and finance. Set in the town of Marquette, Northern Michigan University is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $14,322, while out-of-state students pay about $19,944. Typical student debt for accounting and finance graduates is $24,651. Soon after graduation, accounting and finance degree recipients from Northern Michigan University generally make around $40,508. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #5 makes Hiram College one of the best values for accounting and finance. Hiram College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Hiram. In-state tuition and fees average $27,397. Accounting And Finance graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, accounting and finance degree recipients from Hiram College generally make around $40,613. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 94% of applicants are accepted.
Ohio Wesleyan University landed the #6 spot for accounting and finance value this year. Ohio Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Delaware. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $54,248. Accounting And Finance graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Accounting And Finance graduates of Ohio Wesleyan University earn a median of $48,958 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 56%.
Miami University Oxford landed the #7 spot for accounting and finance value this year. Set in the town of Oxford, Miami University Oxford is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $17,519, with out-of-state students paying around $38,965. Students borrow a median of $23,000 to complete the accounting and finance program here. Early-career accounting and finance graduates make about $68,174. That is a strong return on a $23,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 75%.
Devry University Illinois landed the #8 spot for accounting and finance value this year. Devry University Illinois is a very large private for-profit school located in the suburb of Lisle. In-state tuition and fees average $17,008. Typical student debt for accounting and finance graduates is $54,380. Soon after graduation, accounting and finance degree recipients from Devry University Illinois generally make around $60,172. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 98%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 15 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 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.
