2026 Best Value Child Care Provider/Assistant Schools in Michigan

[Child Care Provider/Assistant](/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/human-development-family-studies/child-care-provider-assistant/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find the best return on investment for child care provider/assistant students.
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2026 Best Value Child Care Provider/Assistant Schools in Michigan
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in child care provider/assistant, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Child Care Provider/Assistant Schools
Washtenaw Community College tops our 2026 list of the best value child care provider/assistant schools in Michigan. Set in the suburb of Ann Arbor, Washtenaw Community College is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,736, with out-of-state students paying around $6,504. Typical student debt for child care provider/assistant graduates is $17,616. Soon after graduation, child care provider/assistant degree recipients from Washtenaw Community College generally make around $45,332. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Delta College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value child care provider/assistant schools. Set in the rural area of University Center, Delta College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,820, with out-of-state students paying around $7,880. Typical student debt for child care provider/assistant graduates is $14,478. Early-career child care provider/assistant graduates make about $21,881. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Oakland Community College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value child care provider/assistant schools. Located in the suburb of Auburn Hills, Oakland Community College is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,120, while out-of-state students pay about $5,560. Typical student debt for child care provider/assistant graduates is $17,310. Early-career child care provider/assistant graduates make about $30,486. Set against $17,310 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Mott Community College earned it the #4 place for child care provider/assistant. Mott Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Flint. Students from in state pay about $6,845 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $11,460. Students borrow a median of $20,645 to complete the child care provider/assistant program here. Child Care Provider/assistant graduates of Mott Community College earn a median of $37,989 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $20,645 median debt.
Michigan State University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value child care provider/assistant schools. Michigan State University is a very large public school located in the city of East Lansing. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,079, compared with $44,850 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for child care provider/assistant graduates is $29,750. Child Care Provider/assistant graduates of Michigan State University earn a median of $31,434 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $29,750 median debt. Michigan State University admits about 85% 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 · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.