2026 Best Value Human Development & Family Studies Schools in Iowa
[Human Development & Family Studies](/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/human-development-family-studies/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. 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 14 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 Iowa
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
Leading the list is Western Iowa Tech Community College, our #1 best value for human development & family studies in Iowa. Set in the city of Sioux City, Western Iowa Tech Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,186, with out-of-state students paying around $5,330. Human Development & Family Studies graduates carry a median of $8,837 in student loans. Soon after graduation, human development & family studies degree recipients from Western Iowa Tech Community College generally make around $35,742. Set against $8,837 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #2 makes Kirkwood Community College one of the best values for human development & family studies. Set in the city of Cedar Rapids, Kirkwood Community College is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,176, compared with $8,220 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for human development & family studies graduates is $15,779. Early-career human development & family studies graduates make about $41,681. 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 Eastern Iowa Community College District, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Davenport, Eastern Iowa Community College District is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,848, with out-of-state students paying around $6,456. Typical student debt for human development & family studies graduates is $15,995. Early-career human development & family studies graduates make about $41,510. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Northeast Iowa Community College Calmar is a great value for students pursuing a degree in human development & family studies, landing the #4 spot this year. Northeast Iowa Community College Calmar is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Calmar. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,780, with out-of-state students paying around $7,770. Typical student debt for human development & family studies graduates is $14,348. Early-career human development & family studies graduates make about $39,833. Set against $14,348 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Hawkeye Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in human development & family studies, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the rural area of Waterloo, Hawkeye Community College is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,525, while out-of-state students pay about $6,612. Human Development & Family Studies graduates carry a median of $17,001 in student loans. Human Development & Family Studies graduates of Hawkeye Community College earn a median of $41,902 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $17,001 median debt.
Des Moines Area Community College ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value human development & family studies schools. Located in the suburb of Ankeny, Des Moines Area Community College is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $5,790 in tuition and fees, compared with $6,690 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for human development & family studies graduates is $11,500. Human Development & Family Studies graduates of Des Moines Area Community College earn a median of $22,623 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Iowa Western Community College earned the #7 position for value in human development & family studies this year. Located in the suburb of Council Bluffs, Iowa Western Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $6,930 in tuition and fees, compared with $7,080 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for human development & family studies graduates is $15,153. Early-career human development & family studies graduates make about $43,444. That is a strong return on a $15,153 median debt.
University Of Northern Iowa landed the #8 spot for human development & family studies value this year. Located in the city of Cedar Falls, University Of Northern Iowa is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $9,936 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $21,712. Typical student debt for human development & family studies graduates is $23,000. Soon after graduation, human development & family studies degree recipients from University Of Northern Iowa generally make around $32,614. Set against $23,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
Iowa State University earned the #9 position for value in human development & family studies this year. Set in the city of Ames, Iowa State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,787 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $28,881. Students borrow a median of $24,958 to complete the human development & family studies program here. Soon after graduation, human development & family studies degree recipients from Iowa State University generally make around $36,364. Set against $24,958 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 89%.
More 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 · 14 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.
