2026 Best Value Child Development & Psychology Schools in Illinois
[Child Development & Psychology](/majors/psychology/child-development-psychology/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 11 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for child development & psychology students.
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2026 Best Value Child Development & Psychology Schools in Illinois
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the child development & psychology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Child Development & Psychology Schools
University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign tops our 2026 list of the best value child development & psychology schools in Illinois. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public school located in the city of Champaign. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,267, compared with $40,096 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,050 to complete the child development & psychology program here. Early-career child development & psychology graduates make about $33,384. Set against $20,050 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign admits about 42% of applicants.
University Of Chicago came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value child development & psychology schools. Set in the city of Chicago, University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $69,324. Students borrow a median of $17,500 to complete the child development & psychology program here. Child Development & Psychology graduates of University Of Chicago earn a median of $31,986 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $17,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 4%.
Students looking for strong value in child development & psychology will find it at Illinois Institute Of Technology, which ranked #3. Illinois Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Students from in state pay about $52,202 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $26,774 to complete the child development & psychology program here. Early-career child development & psychology graduates make about $71,315. That is a strong return on a $26,774 median debt. Roughly 55% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Northwestern University earned it the #4 place for child development & psychology. Set in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,322. Students borrow a median of $16,616 to complete the child development & psychology program here. Early-career child development & psychology graduates make about $78,551. That is a strong return on a $16,616 median debt. The acceptance rate is 8%.
Students looking for strong value in child development & psychology will find it at Knox College, which ranked #5. Located in the town of Galesburg, Knox College is a small private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $57,903. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the child development & psychology program here. Early-career child development & psychology graduates make about $27,822. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 71% of applicants are accepted.
Lake Forest College came in at #6 for value in child development & psychology this year. Lake Forest College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Lake Forest. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $56,402. Students borrow a median of $26,839 to complete the child development & psychology program here. Soon after graduation, child development & psychology degree recipients from Lake Forest College generally make around $41,168. That is a strong return on a $26,839 median debt. The acceptance rate is 57%.
Depaul University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value child development & psychology schools. Located in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $45,405. Students borrow a median of $25,310 to complete the child development & psychology program here. Soon after graduation, child development & psychology degree recipients from Depaul University generally make around $55,226. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
More Child Development & Psychology Rankings
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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 · 11 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.
