2026 Best Value Development Economics & International Development Schools in the The Plains States 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. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for development economics & international development students.
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2026 Best Value Development Economics & International Development Schools in the The Plains States Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in development economics & international development, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Development Economics & International Development Schools
University Of St Thomas Minnesota earned the #1 spot for value among development economics & international development schools in the The Plains States Region. Set in the city of Saint Paul, University Of St Thomas Minnesota is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $54,398. Students borrow a median of $24,600 to complete the development economics & international development program here. Early-career development economics & international development graduates make about $60,323. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 1 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.
