2026 Best Value Labor & Industrial Relations Schools in the The Plains States Region
[Labor & Industrial Relations](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/human-resource-management/labor-and-industrial-relations/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong labor & industrial relations education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for labor & industrial relations students.
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2026 Best Value Labor & Industrial Relations Schools in the The Plains States Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in labor & industrial relations, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Labor & Industrial Relations Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of Minnesota Twin Cities the best value for a degree in labor & industrial relations in the The Plains States Region. Set in the city of Minneapolis, University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $17,214, with out-of-state students paying around $38,362. Students borrow a median of $20,460 to complete the labor & industrial relations program here. Labor & Industrial Relations graduates of University Of Minnesota Twin Cities earn a median of $64,052 early in their careers. Set against $20,460 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities admits about 80% of applicants.
Capella University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value labor & industrial relations schools. Capella University is a very large private for-profit school located in the city of Minneapolis. Students from in state pay about $14,400 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $36,121 to complete the labor & industrial relations program here. Labor & Industrial Relations graduates of Capella University earn a median of $72,053 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Iowa earned it the #3 place for labor & industrial relations. Set in the city of Iowa City, University Of Iowa is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $11,283 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $33,371. Typical student debt for labor & industrial relations graduates is $23,149. Soon after graduation, labor & industrial relations degree recipients from University Of Iowa generally make around $52,945. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 3 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.
