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2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Great Lakes Region

[Value](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/forensic-nursing/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools to find the best return on investment for value students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Value Schools in the Great Lakes Region

2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Great Lakes Region

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the value degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Value Schools

1

Oakland University
Rochester Hills, MI

$17,167 In-State Tuition & Fees

$29,430 Avg Student Debt

$58,612 Median Earnings (10yr)

Our analysis ranked Oakland University the best value for a degree in value in the Great Lakes Region. Oakland University is a large public school located in the suburb of Rochester Hills. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $17,167, while out-of-state students pay about $24,735. Typical student debt for value graduates is $29,430. Early-career value graduates make about $91,727. That is a strong return on a $29,430 median debt. Oakland University admits about 88% of applicants.

2

Kent State University At Kent
Kent, OH

$12,220 In-State Tuition & Fees

$28,625 Avg Student Debt

$45,388 Median Earnings (10yr)

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Kent State University At Kent earned it the #2 place for value. Set in the suburb of Kent, Kent State University At Kent is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,220 in tuition and fees, compared with $21,575 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $28,625 to complete the value program here. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from Kent State University At Kent generally make around $44,776. That is a strong return on a $28,625 median debt. The acceptance rate is 86%.

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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 · 2 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.