[Family & Community Services](/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/human-development-family-studies/family-and-community-services/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 8 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for family & community services students.
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Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the family & community services degrees they offer, see the list below.
Leading the list is University Of Maryland College Park, our #1 best value for family & community services in the Middle Atlantic Region. Located in the suburb of College Park, University Of Maryland College Park is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,809, with out-of-state students paying around $41,186. Typical student debt for family & community services graduates is $19,533. Early-career family & community services graduates make about $41,157. Set against $19,533 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 45% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in family & community services will find it at Mount St Marys University, which ranked #2. Mount St Marys University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Emmitsburg. Students from in state pay about $48,630 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $23,539 to complete the family & community services program here. Early-career family & community services graduates make about $50,657. That is a strong return on a $23,539 median debt. The acceptance rate is 74%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Stevenson University earned it the #3 place for family & community services. Set in the suburb of Owings Mills, Stevenson University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $40,560. Typical student debt for family & community services graduates is $27,000. Family & Community Services graduates of Stevenson University earn a median of $34,273 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Stevenson University admits about 79% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes Messiah College one of the best values for family & community services. Set in the suburb of Mechanicsburg, Messiah College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $42,240. Family & Community Services graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Family & Community Services graduates of Messiah College earn a median of $32,943 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 79%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
