2026 Best Value Disability Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Disability Studies](/majors/ethnic-cultural-gender-studies/ethnic-studies/disability-studies/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong disability studies education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 7 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value disability studies schools.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Disability Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the disability studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Disability Studies Schools
Leading the list is University Of Illinois At Chicago, our #1 best value for disability studies in the Great Lakes Region. University Of Illinois At Chicago is a very large public school located in the city of Chicago. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,949, while out-of-state students pay about $32,009. Students borrow a median of $19,448 to complete the disability studies program here. Disability Studies graduates of University Of Illinois At Chicago earn a median of $33,366 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Wisconsin Madison earned it the #2 place for disability studies. Located in the city of Madison, University Of Wisconsin Madison is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,603, compared with $42,103 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for disability studies graduates is $19,750. Early-career disability studies graduates make about $28,841. Set against $19,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 45%.
Students looking for strong value in disability studies will find it at University Of Cincinnati Main Campus, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Cincinnati, University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $13,363 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $28,697. Typical student debt for disability studies graduates is $23,530. Soon after graduation, disability studies degree recipients from University Of Cincinnati Main Campus generally make around $58,659. 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
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 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.
