2026 Best Value Meeting and Event Planning Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Meeting and Event Planning](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/hospitality-management/meeting-and-event-planning/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 14 schools to find the best return on investment for meeting and event planning students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Meeting and Event Planning Schools in the Great Lakes Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the meeting and event planning degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Meeting and Event Planning Schools
Cuyahoga Community College District tops our 2026 list of the best value meeting and event planning schools in the Great Lakes Region. Located in the city of Cleveland, Cuyahoga Community College District is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $3,249, with out-of-state students paying around $7,249. Meeting And Event Planning graduates carry a median of $14,636 in student loans. Meeting And Event Planning graduates of Cuyahoga Community College District earn a median of $39,394 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #2 makes College Of Dupage one of the best values for meeting and event planning. Set in the suburb of Glen Ellyn, College Of Dupage is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,560 in tuition and fees, compared with $12,750 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $12,492 to complete the meeting and event planning program here. Early-career meeting and event planning graduates make about $43,025. That is a strong return on a $12,492 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in meeting and event planning will find it at Sinclair Community College, which ranked #3. Sinclair Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Dayton. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,675, with out-of-state students paying around $8,556. Students borrow a median of $5,500 to complete the meeting and event planning program here. Soon after graduation, meeting and event planning degree recipients from Sinclair Community College generally make around $22,960. Set against $5,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in meeting and event planning will find it at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $10,762, while out-of-state students pay about $34,891. Typical student debt for meeting and event planning graduates is $23,983. Early-career meeting and event planning graduates make about $35,247. That is a strong return on a $23,983 median debt. Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis admits about 76% of applicants.
A rank of #5 makes Madison Area Technical College one of the best values for meeting and event planning. Set in the city of Madison, Madison Area Technical College is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,977 in tuition and fees, compared with $7,141 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $16,812 to complete the meeting and event planning program here. Meeting And Event Planning graduates of Madison Area Technical College earn a median of $44,279 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $16,812 median debt.
Central Michigan University landed the #6 spot for meeting and event planning value this year. Set in the town of Mount Pleasant, Central Michigan University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,480. Students borrow a median of $29,000 to complete the meeting and event planning program here. Soon after graduation, meeting and event planning degree recipients from Central Michigan University generally make around $37,187. That is a strong return on a $29,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Kent State University At Kent ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value meeting and event planning schools. Located in the suburb of Kent, Kent State University At Kent is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,220, with out-of-state students paying around $21,575. Students borrow a median of $25,112 to complete the meeting and event planning program here. Meeting And Event Planning graduates of Kent State University At Kent earn a median of $44,776 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,112 median debt. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 14 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
