2026 Best Value Pharmaceutics and Drug Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Pharmaceutics and Drug Design](/majors/health-care-professions/pharmacy-pharmaceutical-sciences/pharmaceutics-and-drug-design/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for pharmaceutics and drug design students.
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2026 Best Value Pharmaceutics and Drug Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the pharmaceutics and drug design degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Pharmaceutics and Drug Design Schools
Purdue University Main Campus tops our 2026 list of the best value pharmaceutics and drug design schools in the Great Lakes Region. Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue University Main Campus is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,992, compared with $28,794 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for pharmaceutics and drug design graduates is $19,046. Early-career pharmaceutics and drug design graduates make about $71,787. That is a strong return on a $19,046 median debt. Purdue University Main Campus admits about 50% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in pharmaceutics and drug design will find it at Wayne State University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Detroit, Wayne State University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,159, compared with $34,650 for out-of-state students. Pharmaceutics And Drug Design graduates carry a median of $26,689 in student loans. Pharmaceutics And Drug Design graduates of Wayne State University earn a median of $102,554 early in their careers. Set against $26,689 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Michigan Ann Arbor earned it the #3 place for pharmaceutics and drug design. Located in the city of Ann Arbor, University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,848, while out-of-state students pay about $63,081. Students borrow a median of $15,775 to complete the pharmaceutics and drug design program here. Soon after graduation, pharmaceutics and drug design degree recipients from University Of Michigan Ann Arbor generally make around $66,254. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 16% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Wisconsin Madison is a great value for students pursuing a degree in pharmaceutics and drug design, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the city of Madison, University Of Wisconsin Madison is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,603, compared with $42,103 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for pharmaceutics and drug design graduates is $21,813. Soon after graduation, pharmaceutics and drug design degree recipients from University Of Wisconsin Madison generally make around $94,918. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 45%.
A rank of #5 makes University Of Toledo one of the best values for pharmaceutics and drug design. University Of Toledo is a large public school located in the city of Toledo. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,157, with out-of-state students paying around $21,517. Pharmaceutics And Drug Design graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Early-career pharmaceutics and drug design graduates make about $72,951. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 92%.
Butler University earned the #6 position for value in pharmaceutics and drug design this year. Butler University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Indianapolis. In-state tuition and fees average $47,560. Students borrow a median of $25,351 to complete the pharmaceutics and drug design program here. Early-career pharmaceutics and drug design graduates make about $116,028. That is a strong return on a $25,351 median debt. Butler University admits about 85% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
