27
Ranked Colleges
2,411
Degrees Awarded
$17,100
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 18,325 people earned their degree in information science, making the major the 58th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, information science graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $59,394 and had an average of $28,852 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 2,411 information science graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,224 and $22,002 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 27 colleges that offer a degree in information science. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality information science programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the information science program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region is students.
Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Ivy Tech Community College landed the #1 spot on the list. Ivy Tech Community College is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 384 ’s IS degrees to qualified students.
Ivy Tech Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ivy Tech Community College is $7,669 for great lakes region is students.
Read more about Information Science at Ivy Tech Community College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Cuyahoga Community College District. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s IS degrees to 51 students in 2020-2021.
Cuyahoga Community College District not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Cuyahoga Community College District is $4,909 for Great Lakes Region IS students.
Read more about Information Science at Cuyahoga Community College District
Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 388 degrees to qualified ’s IS students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region is students list, UIUC has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $14,321 for Great Lakes Region IS students.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UIUC Information Science Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grand Valley State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Allendale, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s IS degrees to 36 students in 2020-2021.
GVSU also took the #11 spot in our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,356 for great lakes region is students per year to attend Grand Valley State University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full GVSU Information Science Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 203 diplomas to qualified ’s IS students in 2020-2021.
UWM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is $17,486 for Great Lakes Region IS students.
Full University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Information Science Report
With a ranking of #6, University of Akron Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Akron, Ohio. It awarded 13 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Akron Main Campus also took the #21 spot in our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Akron Main Campus is $17,945 for Great Lakes Region IS students.
Full University of Akron Main Campus Information Science Report
With a ranking of #7, DePaul University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. DePaul is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 95 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePaul, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul is $31,174 for great lakes region is students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Information Science at DePaul
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and it awarded 14 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Green Bay also made our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $13,092 for great lakes region is students per year to attend UW - Green Bay.
Read full report on Information Science at UW - Green Bay
Marquette University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. Marquette University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Marquette, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Marquette is $30,380 for great lakes region is students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Information Science at Marquette University
Cleveland State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #10. Cleveland State University is a fairly large school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 82 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.
Cleveland State University also made our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Cleveland State University is $16,943 for great lakes region is students.
Full Cleveland State University Information Science Report
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. BGSU is a fairly large public school situated in Bowling Green, Ohio. It awarded 28 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.
BGSU also took the #18 spot in our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for BGSU is $18,558 for great lakes region is students.
Read more about Information Science at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #12, University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well on the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Dearborn, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s IS degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
UM Dearborn also took the #15 spot in our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UM Dearborn is $12,855 for great lakes region is students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Information Science at UM Dearborn
University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s IS degrees to 156 students in 2020-2021.
UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,214 for great lakes region is students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Information Science at UIC
With a ranking of #14, Ball State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Muncie, Indiana, this large public school awarded 55 degrees to qualified ’s IS students in 2020-2021.
Ball State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ball State is $14,765 for great lakes region is students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Information Science at Ball State University
Purdue University Global ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s IS degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Information Science at Purdue University Global
Eastern Michigan University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Eastern Michigan University is a public institution located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Eastern Michigan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan is $15,127 for great lakes region is students.
Full Eastern Michigan University Information Science Report
Northwood University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Northwood University is located in Midland, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s IS degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region is students list, Northwood has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwood is $21,257 for Great Lakes Region IS students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Northwood University Information Science Report
Bradley University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Bradley University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Peoria, Illinois. It awarded 11 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.
Bradley also took the #13 spot in our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bradley University is $25,196 for Great Lakes Region IS students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Information Science at Bradley University
Roosevelt University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified ’s IS students in 2020-2021.
Roosevelt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $21,678 for Great Lakes Region IS students per year to attend Roosevelt.
Read full report on Information Science at Roosevelt University
University of Michigan - Flint did quite well in the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. This medium-sized school is located in Flint, Michigan, and it awarded 15 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UM Flint, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,689 for great lakes region is students per year to attend University of Michigan - Flint.
Read more about Information Science at University of Michigan - Flint
Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #21. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 7 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $19,058 for great lakes region is students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Michigan State Information Science Report
Wayne State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Wayne State is a public institution located in Detroit, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Wayne State also took the #14 spot in our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,962 for Great Lakes Region IS students per year to attend Wayne State.
Read more about Information Science at Wayne State
Saint Xavier University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 8 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.
SXU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,024 for Great Lakes Region IS students per year to attend Saint Xavier University.
Read more about Information Science at Saint Xavier University
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #24. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 390 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M also made our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $14,878 for Great Lakes Region IS students.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Information Science at U-M
Northwestern University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 100 diplomas to qualified ’s IS students in 2020-2021.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $23,279 for Great Lakes Region IS students.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Information Science at Northwestern University