2023 Best Value General Family & Consumer Sciences Schools
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best General Family & Consumer Sciences School for You
General Family & Consumer Sciences is the #171 most popular major in the country with 2,906 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value General Family & Consumer Sciences Schools ranking. This report analyzed 64 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best value programs for consumer science students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best General Family & Consumer Sciences Schools
Our analysis found Brigham Young University - Provo to be the best value school for general family and consumer sciences students who want to pursue a degree in the United States. Located in the medium-sized city of Provo, BYU is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at BYU are $6,120 a year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, BYU also did well on our Best General Family & Consumer Sciences Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value General Family & Consumer Sciences Schools list. Illinois State is a very large public school located in the suburb of Normal.
Illinois State undergraduate students pay an average of $24,172 in tuition and fees each year. On average, consumer science graduates from Illinois State take out $19,807 in student loans while working on their degree.
In addition to its great value ranking, Illinois State is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best General Family & Consumer Sciences Schools list.
Full General Family & Consumer Sciences at Illinois State University Report
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Nicholls State University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value General Family & Consumer Sciences Schools list. Nicholls State University is a medium-sized public school located in the small city of Thibodaux.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Nicholls State University are $9,039 a year. On average, consumer science graduates from Nicholls State University take out $32,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend San Joaquin Delta College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value General Family & Consumer Sciences Schools list. Delta is a fairly large public school located in the city of Stockton.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Delta are $9,072 a year.
Request Information
Out of the 64 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Delta State University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the remote town of Cleveland, Delta State University is a public college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Delta State University are $8,360 a year. After completing their degree, consumer science graduates from Delta State University carry an average student debtload of $29,125.
Full General Family & Consumer Sciences at Delta State University Report
Request Information
Southeast Missouri State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for general family and consumer sciences students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the city of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri State University is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southeast Missouri State University are $15,285 per year. The average amount in student loans that consumer science majors at Southeast Missouri State University take out is $25,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $106, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Request Information
Minnesota State University - Mankato landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value general family and consumer sciences programs. Located in the city of Mankato, Minnesota State Mankato is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Minnesota State Mankato undergraduate students pay an average of $18,200 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, consumer science majors at Minnesota State Mankato accumulate an average of around $26,224 in student debt.
In addition to its great value ranking, Minnesota State Mankato is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best General Family & Consumer Sciences Schools list.
Full General Family & Consumer Sciences at Minnesota State University - Mankato Report
Request Information
Western Illinois University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Family & Consumer Sciences Schools ranking. Located in the town of Macomb, WIU is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at WIU are $13,297 a year. The average amount in student loans that consumer science majors at WIU take out is $37,331.
Read full report on General Family & Consumer Sciences at Western Illinois University
Request Information
SUNY Oneonta landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value general family and consumer sciences programs. SUNY Oneonta is a moderately-sized public school located in the remote town of Oneonta.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SUNY Oneonta are $18,696 per year. On average, consumer science graduates from SUNY Oneonta take out $20,500 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $348.
Read full report on General Family & Consumer Sciences at SUNY Oneonta
Request Information
East Central University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for general family and consumer sciences students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the town of Ada, ECU is a public college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at ECU are $16,555 a year.
Request InformationAdditional Noteworthy Schools
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value General Family & Consumer Sciences Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | University of Wyoming | Laramie, WY |
| 12 | Eastern Illinois University | Charleston, IL |
General Family & Consumer Sciences by Region
View the Best Value General Family & Consumer Sciences Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More General Family & Consumer Sciences Rankings
Majors Related to Consumer Science
General Family & Consumer Sciences is one of 7 different types of programs to choose from.
Majors Similar to Consumer Science
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Human Development & Family Studies | 42,112 |
| Food, Nutrition & Related Services | 4,858 |
| Textile & Apparel Studies | 3,313 |
| Family & Consumer Economics | 1,454 |
| Human Sciences Business Services | 704 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to National Cancer Institute.
More about our data sources and methodologies.