2026 Best Value Family & Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Family & Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General](/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/general-family-consumer-sciences/family-and-consumer-sciences-human-sciences-general/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 16 schools to find the best return on investment for family & consumer sciences/human sciences, general students.
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2026 Best Value Family & Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in family & consumer sciences/human sciences, general, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Family & Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General Schools
Leading the list is University Of Wisconsin Madison, our #1 best value for family & consumer sciences/human sciences, general in the Great Lakes Region. Located in the city of Madison, University Of Wisconsin Madison is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,603, with out-of-state students paying around $42,103. Students borrow a median of $21,813 to complete the family & consumer sciences/human sciences, general program here. Soon after graduation, family & consumer sciences/human sciences, general degree recipients from University Of Wisconsin Madison generally make around $59,877. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 45%.
Eastern Illinois University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value family & consumer sciences/human sciences, general schools. Eastern Illinois University is a large public school located in the town of Charleston. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,377, with out-of-state students paying around $15,859. Typical student debt for family & consumer sciences/human sciences, general graduates is $26,000. Soon after graduation, family & consumer sciences/human sciences, general degree recipients from Eastern Illinois University generally make around $41,435. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 65% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Illinois State University one of the best values for family & consumer sciences/human sciences, general. Set in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,410, compared with $26,058 for out-of-state students. Family & Consumer Sciences/human Sciences, General graduates carry a median of $20,322 in student loans. Family & Consumer Sciences/human Sciences, General graduates of Illinois State University earn a median of $46,330 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Illinois State University admits about 88% of applicants.
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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 · 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.
