2026 Best Value Development Economics & International Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Development Economics & International Development](/majors/social-sciences/economics/development-economics-and-international-development/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong development economics & international development 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 development economics & international development students.
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2026 Best Value Development Economics & International Development Schools in the Great Lakes Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the development economics & international development degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Development Economics & International Development Schools
Our analysis ranked Purdue University Main Campus the best value for a degree in development economics & international development in the Great Lakes Region. Set in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue University Main Campus is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,992 in tuition and fees, compared with $28,794 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for development economics & international development graduates is $24,700. Development Economics & International Development graduates of Purdue University Main Campus earn a median of $59,187 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 50%.
Ohio University Main Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in development economics & international development, landing the #2 spot this year. Ohio University Main Campus is a very large public school located in the town of Athens. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,158, compared with $24,838 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for development economics & international development graduates is $19,750. Development Economics & International Development graduates of Ohio University Main Campus earn a median of $66,237 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $19,750 median debt. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Dayton is a great value for students pursuing a degree in development economics & international development, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Dayton, University Of Dayton is a large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $49,140. Typical student debt for development economics & international development graduates is $22,791. Development Economics & International Development graduates of University Of Dayton earn a median of $34,671 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 65%.
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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 · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
