2026 Best Value General Human Development & Family Studies Schools in Tennessee
[General Human Development & Family Studies](/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/human-development-family-studies/human-development-and-family-studies-general/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for general human development & family studies students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value General Human Development & Family Studies Schools in Tennessee
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general human development & family studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Human Development & Family Studies Schools
For return on investment in general human development & family studies, no school beat The University Of Tennessee this year. Located in the city of Knoxville, The University Of Tennessee is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,812, compared with $33,256 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general human development & family studies graduates is $22,790. Soon after graduation, general human development & family studies degree recipients from The University Of Tennessee generally make around $39,911. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in general human development & family studies will find it at Vanderbilt University, which ranked #2. Vanderbilt University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $67,498. Typical student debt for general human development & family studies graduates is $13,975. Soon after graduation, general human development & family studies degree recipients from Vanderbilt University generally make around $77,997. Set against $13,975 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 6% of applicants are accepted.
Lee University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value general human development & family studies schools. Lee University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cleveland. Students from in state pay about $23,790 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $26,422 to complete the general human development & family studies program here. Soon after graduation, general human development & family studies degree recipients from Lee University generally make around $38,249. That is a strong return on a $26,422 median debt. The acceptance rate is 70%.
More General Human Development & Family Studies Rankings
View All General Human Development & Family Studies Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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.
