2026 Best Value Human Development & Family Studies Schools in Wisconsin
[Human Development & Family Studies](/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/human-development-family-studies/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong human development & family studies education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 15 schools to find the best return on investment for human development & family studies students.
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2026 Best Value Human Development & Family Studies Schools in Wisconsin
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in human development & family studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Human Development & Family Studies Schools
For return on investment in human development & family studies, no school beat Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College this year. Set in the town of Rice Lake, Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,926, while out-of-state students pay about $7,169. Human Development & Family Studies graduates carry a median of $12,457 in student loans. Soon after graduation, human development & family studies degree recipients from Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College generally make around $20,863. That is a strong return on a $12,457 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Milwaukee Area Technical College earned it the #2 place for human development & family studies. Milwaukee Area Technical College is a very large public school located in the city of Milwaukee. Students from in state pay about $5,184 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $7,427. Students borrow a median of $18,296 to complete the human development & family studies program here. Early-career human development & family studies graduates make about $38,325. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in human development & family studies will find it at Northcentral Technical College, which ranked #3. Northcentral Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Wausau. In-state tuition and fees average $4,889, compared with $7,132 for out-of-state students. Human Development & Family Studies graduates carry a median of $11,709 in student loans. Soon after graduation, human development & family studies degree recipients from Northcentral Technical College generally make around $41,696. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Chippewa Valley Technical College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value human development & family studies schools. Set in the city of Eau Claire, Chippewa Valley Technical College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,844, while out-of-state students pay about $7,087. Human Development & Family Studies graduates carry a median of $14,234 in student loans. Human Development & Family Studies graduates of Chippewa Valley Technical College earn a median of $45,531 early in their careers. Set against $14,234 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Madison Area Technical College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in human development & family studies, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Madison, Madison Area Technical College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,977, while out-of-state students pay about $7,141. Typical student debt for human development & family studies graduates is $16,812. Soon after graduation, human development & family studies degree recipients from Madison Area Technical College generally make around $44,279. Set against $16,812 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
University Of Wisconsin Madison placed #6 among the best values for human development & family studies. Located in the city of Madison, University Of Wisconsin Madison is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,603, compared with $42,103 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for human development & family studies graduates is $21,250. Human Development & Family Studies graduates of University Of Wisconsin Madison earn a median of $34,149 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,250 median debt. University Of Wisconsin Madison admits about 45% of applicants.
University Of Wisconsin Stout landed the #7 spot for human development & family studies value this year. University Of Wisconsin Stout is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Menomonie. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,701, compared with $19,265 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the human development & family studies program here. Early-career human development & family studies graduates make about $37,050. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Edgewood College came in at #8 for value in human development & family studies this year. Edgewood College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Madison. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $35,860. Human Development & Family Studies graduates carry a median of $26,750 in student loans. Soon after graduation, human development & family studies degree recipients from Edgewood College generally make around $56,578. That is a strong return on a $26,750 median debt. The acceptance rate is 76%.
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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 · 15 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.
