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2026 Best Value Human Development & Family Studies Schools in District of Columbia

[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 best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

College Factual analyzed 3 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value human development & family studies schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Human Development & Family Studies Schools in District of Columbia

2026 Best Value Human Development & Family Studies Schools in District of Columbia

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

1

University Of The District Of Columbia
Washington, DC

$5,662 In-State Tuition & Fees

$43,500 Avg Student Debt

$44,236 Median Earnings (10yr)

Our analysis ranked University Of The District Of Columbia the best value for a degree in human development & family studies in District of Columbia. Located in the city of Washington, University Of The District Of Columbia is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,662, while out-of-state students pay about $12,514. Typical student debt for human development & family studies graduates is $43,500. Early-career human development & family studies graduates make about $44,819. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.

2

Howard University
Washington, DC

$35,810 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,498 Avg Student Debt

$63,066 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes Howard University one of the best values for human development & family studies. Located in the city of Washington, Howard University is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $35,810. Typical student debt for human development & family studies graduates is $25,498. Human Development & Family Studies graduates of Howard University earn a median of $58,495 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,498 median debt. Howard University admits about 41% of applicants.

View All Human Development & Family Studies Rankings >

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 · 3 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.