2026 Best Value Child development Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
[Child development](/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/human-development-family-studies/child-development/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for child development students.
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2026 Best Value Child development Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in child development, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Child development Schools
Leading the list is Brigham Young University Idaho, our #1 best value for child development in the Rocky Mountains Region. Brigham Young University Idaho is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the town of Rexburg. Students from in state pay about $4,800 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for child development graduates is $12,250. Soon after graduation, child development degree recipients from Brigham Young University Idaho generally make around $21,619. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 96%.
Students looking for strong value in child development will find it at Weber State University, which ranked #2. Weber State University is a very large public school located in the city of Ogden. Students from in state pay about $6,557 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $17,545. Students borrow a median of $18,792 to complete the child development program here. Early-career child development graduates make about $35,861. That is a strong return on a $18,792 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in child development will find it at North Idaho College, which ranked #3. North Idaho College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Coeur d'Alene. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,396, compared with $8,736 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $14,688 to complete the child development program here. Early-career child development graduates make about $49,489. That is a strong return on a $14,688 median debt.
University Of Idaho is a great value for students pursuing a degree in child development, landing the #4 spot this year. University Of Idaho is a large public school located in the town of Moscow. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,084, while out-of-state students pay about $28,320. Students borrow a median of $27,701 to complete the child development program here. Child Development graduates of University Of Idaho earn a median of $43,246 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 5 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.
