2026 Best Value Industrial & Organizational Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Industrial & Organizational Psychology](/majors/psychology/clinical-counseling-applied-psychology/industrial-and-organizational-psychology/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong industrial & organizational psychology education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 29 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for industrial & organizational psychology students.
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2026 Best Value Industrial & Organizational Psychology Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in industrial & organizational psychology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Industrial & Organizational Psychology Schools
Wayne State University earned the #1 spot for value among industrial & organizational psychology schools in the Great Lakes Region. Wayne State University is a very large public school located in the city of Detroit. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,159, compared with $34,650 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $26,689 to complete the industrial & organizational psychology program here. Industrial & Organizational Psychology graduates of Wayne State University earn a median of $58,918 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.
Purdue University Global came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value industrial & organizational psychology schools. Set in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue University Global is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $10,101, while out-of-state students pay about $14,412. Students borrow a median of $42,443 to complete the industrial & organizational psychology program here. Soon after graduation, industrial & organizational psychology degree recipients from Purdue University Global generally make around $39,572. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Indiana University Bloomington is a great value for students pursuing a degree in industrial & organizational psychology, landing the #3 spot this year. Indiana University Bloomington is a very large public school located in the city of Bloomington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,144, with out-of-state students paying around $41,891. Typical student debt for industrial & organizational psychology graduates is $20,542. Industrial & Organizational Psychology graduates of Indiana University Bloomington earn a median of $69,444 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Indiana University Bloomington admits about 78% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes Wright State University Main Campus one of the best values for industrial & organizational psychology. Located in the suburb of Dayton, Wright State University Main Campus is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,991, compared with $20,691 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for industrial & organizational psychology graduates is $25,836. Early-career industrial & organizational psychology graduates make about $67,124. That is a strong return on a $25,836 median debt. Roughly 96% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Akron Main Campus came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value industrial & organizational psychology schools. Set in the city of Akron, University Of Akron Main Campus is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $13,135 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $20,815. Typical student debt for industrial & organizational psychology graduates is $25,347. Early-career industrial & organizational psychology graduates make about $68,344. Set against $25,347 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 60% of applicants are accepted.
Central Michigan University landed the #6 spot for industrial & organizational psychology value this year. Central Michigan University is a large public school located in the town of Mount Pleasant. In-state tuition and fees average $15,480. Students borrow a median of $27,857 to complete the industrial & organizational psychology program here. Industrial & Organizational Psychology graduates of Central Michigan University earn a median of $50,688 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Central Michigan University admits about 90% of applicants.
University Of Detroit Mercy landed the #7 spot for industrial & organizational psychology value this year. Set in the city of Detroit, University Of Detroit Mercy is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $32,946. Students borrow a median of $29,053 to complete the industrial & organizational psychology program here. Soon after graduation, industrial & organizational psychology degree recipients from University Of Detroit Mercy generally make around $54,597. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 75%.
National Louis University placed #8 among the best values for industrial & organizational psychology. Located in the city of Chicago, National Louis University is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,245. Typical student debt for industrial & organizational psychology graduates is $29,242. Early-career industrial & organizational psychology graduates make about $57,591. Set against $29,242 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 95% of applicants are accepted.
Indiana Wesleyan University National And Global came in at #9 for value in industrial & organizational psychology this year. Located in the rural area of Marion, Indiana Wesleyan University National And Global is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,648. Industrial & Organizational Psychology graduates carry a median of $38,759 in student loans. Industrial & Organizational Psychology graduates of Indiana Wesleyan University National And Global earn a median of $40,706 early in their careers. Set against $38,759 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
University Of Wisconsin Stout landed the #10 spot for industrial & organizational psychology value this year. Set in the town of Menomonie, University Of Wisconsin Stout is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,701, with out-of-state students paying around $19,265. Industrial & Organizational Psychology graduates carry a median of $25,821 in student loans. Early-career industrial & organizational psychology graduates make about $62,190. Set against $25,821 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Wisconsin Stout admits about 88% of applicants.
Western Michigan University came in at #11 for value in industrial & organizational psychology this year. Located in the city of Kalamazoo, Western Michigan University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,987, compared with $19,952 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for industrial & organizational psychology graduates is $27,000. Early-career industrial & organizational psychology graduates make about $57,368. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Western Michigan University admits about 85% of applicants.
Roosevelt University placed #12 among the best values for industrial & organizational psychology. Set in the city of Chicago, Roosevelt University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $21,315 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $23,879 to complete the industrial & organizational psychology program here. Early-career industrial & organizational psychology graduates make about $59,141. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 97% of applicants are accepted.
Elmhurst College landed the #13 spot for industrial & organizational psychology value this year. Elmhurst College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Elmhurst. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $42,955. Typical student debt for industrial & organizational psychology graduates is $22,400. Soon after graduation, industrial & organizational psychology degree recipients from Elmhurst College generally make around $72,270. That is a strong return on a $22,400 median debt. The acceptance rate is 74%.
Franklin University landed the #14 spot for industrial & organizational psychology value this year. Located in the city of Columbus, Franklin University is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $9,577 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $35,500 to complete the industrial & organizational psychology program here. Early-career industrial & organizational psychology graduates make about $51,740. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Northwestern University placed #15 among the best values for industrial & organizational psychology. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,322. Typical student debt for industrial & organizational psychology graduates is $16,616. Soon after graduation, industrial & organizational psychology degree recipients from Northwestern University generally make around $43,591. That is a strong return on a $16,616 median debt. Northwestern University admits about 8% of applicants.
Depaul University earned the #16 position for value in industrial & organizational psychology this year. Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $45,405. Typical student debt for industrial & organizational psychology graduates is $25,310. Early-career industrial & organizational psychology graduates make about $55,226. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
Xavier University earned the #17 position for value in industrial & organizational psychology this year. Located in the city of Cincinnati, Xavier University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $49,425. Industrial & Organizational Psychology graduates carry a median of $26,614 in student loans. Soon after graduation, industrial & organizational psychology degree recipients from Xavier University generally make around $55,045. That is a strong return on a $26,614 median debt. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 29 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 11 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.
