2026 Best Value Human Development & Family Studies Schools in West Virginia

[Human Development & Family Studies](/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/human-development-family-studies/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 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 West Virginia
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the human development & family studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Human Development & Family Studies Schools
West Virginia University At Parkersburg earned the #1 spot for value among human development & family studies schools in West Virginia. Located in the rural area of Parkersburg, West Virginia University At Parkersburg is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $5,476 in tuition and fees, compared with $9,424 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for human development & family studies graduates is $15,595. Human Development & Family Studies graduates of West Virginia University At Parkersburg earn a median of $45,400 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #2 makes Southern West Virginia Community And Technical College one of the best values for human development & family studies. Located in the town of Logan, Southern West Virginia Community And Technical College is a small public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,136, compared with $7,872 for out-of-state students. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $32,153.
Pierpont Community And Technical College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in human development & family studies, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the town of Fairmont, Pierpont Community And Technical College is a mid-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,762, while out-of-state students pay about $13,660. Students borrow a median of $16,268 to complete the human development & family studies program here. Human Development & Family Studies graduates of Pierpont Community And Technical College earn a median of $43,759 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
American Public University System came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value human development & family studies schools. Set in the town of Charles Town, American Public University System is a very large private for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,400. Students borrow a median of $26,340 to complete the human development & family studies program here. Human Development & Family Studies graduates of American Public University System earn a median of $27,587 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
West Virginia University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in human development & family studies, landing the #5 spot this year. West Virginia University is a very large public school located in the city of Morgantown. Students from in state pay about $10,104 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $28,608. Students borrow a median of $25,242 to complete the human development & family studies program here. Human Development & Family Studies graduates of West Virginia University earn a median of $32,306 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,242 median debt. The acceptance rate is 89%.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 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.