2026 Best Value Education Philosophy Schools in the Great Lakes Region

[Education Philosophy](/majors/education/education-philosophy/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong education philosophy education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 16 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for education philosophy students.
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2026 Best Value Education Philosophy Schools in the Great Lakes Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the education philosophy degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Education Philosophy Schools
For return on investment in education philosophy, no school beat University Of Wisconsin Madison this year. University Of Wisconsin Madison is a very large public school located in the city of Madison. In-state tuition and fees average $11,603, with out-of-state students paying around $42,103. Education Philosophy graduates carry a median of $21,813 in student loans. Education Philosophy graduates of University Of Wisconsin Madison earn a median of $59,877 early in their careers. Set against $21,813 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 45%.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee one of the best values for education philosophy. Set in the city of Milwaukee, University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,398 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $22,398. Education Philosophy graduates carry a median of $26,657 in student loans. Soon after graduation, education philosophy degree recipients from University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee generally make around $53,949. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in education philosophy will find it at University Of Cincinnati Main Campus, which ranked #3. University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Cincinnati. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,363, while out-of-state students pay about $28,697. Education Philosophy graduates carry a median of $23,530 in student loans. Education Philosophy graduates of University Of Cincinnati Main Campus earn a median of $58,659 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,530 median debt. University Of Cincinnati Main Campus admits about 85% of applicants.
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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 · 16 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.