2026 Best Value General Human Development & Family Studies Schools in Virginia
[General Human Development & Family Studies](/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/human-development-family-studies/human-development-and-family-studies-general/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general human development & family studies education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general human development & family studies students.
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2026 Best Value General Human Development & Family Studies Schools in Virginia
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
Our analysis ranked George Mason University the best value for a degree in general human development & family studies in Virginia. Set in the suburb of Fairfax, George Mason University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $14,220, with out-of-state students paying around $38,688. Typical student debt for general human development & family studies graduates is $24,300. Early-career general human development & family studies graduates make about $45,140. Set against $24,300 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. George Mason University admits about 88% of applicants.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general human development & family studies, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $15,948 in tuition and fees, compared with $37,764 for out-of-state students. General Human Development & Family Studies graduates carry a median of $21,500 in student loans. Early-career general human development & family studies graduates make about $33,654. Set against $21,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 55%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Southern Virginia University earned it the #3 place for general human development & family studies. Set in the town of Buena Vista, Southern Virginia University is a small private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $21,030 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $18,500 to complete the general human development & family studies program here. Early-career general human development & family studies graduates make about $22,024. That is a strong return on a $18,500 median debt. Roughly 96% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Liberty University earned it the #4 place for general human development & family studies. Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lynchburg. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,173. Typical student debt for general human development & family studies graduates is $23,250. General Human Development & Family Studies graduates of Liberty University earn a median of $31,083 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,250 median debt. Liberty University admits about 99% of applicants.
More General Human Development & Family Studies Rankings
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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 · 4 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.
