2026 Best Value Educational Psychology Schools in the The Plains States Region

[Educational Psychology](/majors/psychology/clinical-counseling-applied-psychology/educational-psychology/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong educational psychology education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools to find the best return on investment for educational psychology students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Educational Psychology Schools in the The Plains States Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the educational psychology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Educational Psychology Schools
Leading the list is University Of Missouri St Louis, our #1 best value for educational psychology in the The Plains States Region. University Of Missouri St Louis is a large public school located in the suburb of Saint Louis. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,120, with out-of-state students paying around $37,620. Typical student debt for educational psychology graduates is $25,943. Early-career educational psychology graduates make about $56,723. That is a strong return on a $25,943 median debt. Roughly 63% of applicants are accepted.
Wichita State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in educational psychology, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Wichita, Wichita State University is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $9,684, compared with $19,869 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,262 to complete the educational psychology program here. Educational Psychology graduates of Wichita State University earn a median of $49,278 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,262 median debt. Wichita State University admits about 94% of applicants.
University Of Northern Iowa is a great value for students pursuing a degree in educational psychology, landing the #3 spot this year. University Of Northern Iowa is a large public school located in the city of Cedar Falls. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,936, while out-of-state students pay about $21,712. Educational Psychology graduates carry a median of $22,635 in student loans. Early-career educational psychology graduates make about $46,054. That is a strong return on a $22,635 median debt. University Of Northern Iowa admits about 93% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes University Of Minnesota Twin Cities one of the best values for educational psychology. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public school located in the city of Minneapolis. In-state tuition and fees average $17,214, while out-of-state students pay about $38,362. Students borrow a median of $21,577 to complete the educational psychology program here. Early-career educational psychology graduates make about $51,090. Set against $21,577 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
Emporia State University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value educational psychology schools. Emporia State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Emporia. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,106, while out-of-state students pay about $15,419. Educational Psychology graduates carry a median of $23,131 in student loans. Soon after graduation, educational psychology degree recipients from Emporia State University generally make around $46,440. Set against $23,131 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Kansas landed the #6 spot for educational psychology value this year. Located in the city of Lawrence, University Of Kansas is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,102, with out-of-state students paying around $30,432. Students borrow a median of $23,608 to complete the educational psychology program here. Early-career educational psychology graduates make about $79,622. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 94%.
University Of Nebraska Lincoln ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value educational psychology schools. University Of Nebraska Lincoln is a very large public school located in the city of Lincoln. In-state tuition and fees average $10,434, compared with $28,584 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for educational psychology graduates is $22,386. Early-career educational psychology graduates make about $79,011. Set against $22,386 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Capella University came in at #8 for value in educational psychology this year. Located in the city of Minneapolis, Capella University is a very large private for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $14,400 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for educational psychology graduates is $35,998. Soon after graduation, educational psychology degree recipients from Capella University generally make around $57,897. Set against $35,998 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Webster University placed #9 among the best values for educational psychology. Webster University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saint Louis. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $31,750. Students borrow a median of $25,939 to complete the educational psychology program here. Educational Psychology graduates of Webster University earn a median of $42,026 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Narrow Educational Psychology Schools by State
More Educational Psychology Rankings
View All Educational Psychology Rankings >
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 · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.