[Community Psychology](/majors/psychology/clinical-counseling-applied-psychology/community-psychology/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong community psychology education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value community psychology schools.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in community psychology, balancing cost against outcomes.
National Louis University tops our 2026 list of the best value community psychology schools in Illinois. Located in the city of Chicago, National Louis University is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,245. Typical student debt for community psychology graduates is $29,242. Early-career community psychology graduates make about $57,591. Set against $29,242 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 95% of applicants are accepted.
Wheaton College Illinois is a great value for students pursuing a degree in community psychology, landing the #2 spot this year. Wheaton College Illinois is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Wheaton. In-state tuition and fees average $45,546. Typical student debt for community psychology graduates is $23,292. Soon after graduation, community psychology degree recipients from Wheaton College Illinois generally make around $56,094. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 87%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Northwestern University earned it the #3 place for community psychology. Set in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,322. Typical student debt for community psychology graduates is $16,616. Early-career community psychology graduates make about $78,551. Set against $16,616 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 8%.
Depaul University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in community psychology, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $45,405. Students borrow a median of $25,310 to complete the community psychology program here. Community Psychology graduates of Depaul University earn a median of $55,226 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,310 median debt. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in community psychology will find it at Loyola University Chicago, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $53,710 in tuition and fees. Community Psychology graduates carry a median of $23,521 in student loans. Early-career community psychology graduates make about $58,568. Set against $23,521 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 82%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 5 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.
