---

2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Great Lakes Region

[Value](/majors/engineering-technologies/drafting-design-engineering-technology/3d-modeling-and-design/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong value 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 value students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Value Schools in the Great Lakes Region

2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in value, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Value Schools

1

Oakland Community College
Auburn Hills, MI

$3,120 In-State Tuition & Fees

$13,750 Avg Student Debt

$37,395 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is Oakland Community College, our #1 best value for value in the Great Lakes Region. Oakland Community College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Auburn Hills. In-state tuition and fees average $3,120, with out-of-state students paying around $5,560. Typical student debt for value graduates is $13,750. Early-career value graduates make about $45,844. That is a strong return on a $13,750 median debt.

2

Macomb Community College
Warren, MI

$3,660 In-State Tuition & Fees

$8,296 Avg Student Debt

$41,596 Median Earnings (10yr)

Macomb Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in value, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Warren, Macomb Community College is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $3,660 in tuition and fees, compared with $8,370 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for value graduates is $8,296. Early-career value graduates make about $44,701. Set against $8,296 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.

View All Value Rankings >

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 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.