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2026 Best Value Labor & Industrial Relations Schools in New York

[Labor & Industrial Relations](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/human-resource-management/labor-and-industrial-relations/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for labor & industrial relations students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Labor & Industrial Relations Schools in New York

2026 Best Value Labor & Industrial Relations Schools in New York

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the labor & industrial relations degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Labor & Industrial Relations Schools

1

Suny Empire State College
Saratoga Springs, NY

$7,648 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,693 Avg Student Debt

$54,080 Median Earnings (10yr)

Our analysis ranked Suny Empire State College the best value for a degree in labor & industrial relations in New York. Located in the suburb of Saratoga Springs, Suny Empire State College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $7,648, while out-of-state students pay about $17,558. Students borrow a median of $23,693 to complete the labor & industrial relations program here. Labor & Industrial Relations graduates of Suny Empire State College earn a median of $58,140 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.

2

Cornell University
Ithaca, NY

$69,314 In-State Tuition & Fees

$15,000 Avg Student Debt

$104,043 Median Earnings (10yr)

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Cornell University earned it the #2 place for labor & industrial relations. Set in the city of Ithaca, Cornell University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $69,314 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $15,000 to complete the labor & industrial relations program here. Early-career labor & industrial relations graduates make about $92,864. Set against $15,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 9%.

View All Labor & Industrial Relations Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 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.