[Community College Education](/majors/education/educational-administration/community-college-education/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong community college education education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 3 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for community college education students.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the community college education degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in community college education, no school beat Ferris State University this year. Ferris State University is a large public school located in the town of Big Rapids. In-state tuition and fees average $14,778. Students borrow a median of $23,562 to complete the community college education program here. Community College Education graduates of Ferris State University earn a median of $96,834 early in their careers. Set against $23,562 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in community college education will find it at Central Michigan University, which ranked #2. Set in the town of Mount Pleasant, Central Michigan University is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,480. Typical student debt for community college education graduates is $27,857. Soon after graduation, community college education degree recipients from Central Michigan University generally make around $76,885. Set against $27,857 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Eastern Michigan University earned it the #3 place for community college education. Set in the suburb of Ypsilanti, Eastern Michigan University is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,990. Typical student debt for community college education graduates is $28,781. Community College Education graduates of Eastern Michigan University earn a median of $47,887 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $28,781 median debt. The acceptance rate is 80%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
