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2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region

42 Ranked Colleges
1,681 Degrees Awarded
$18,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 12,529 people earned their degree in writing studies, making the major the 81st most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, writing studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $32,208 and had an average of $24,626 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,681 writing studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $26,622 and $25,225 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 42 colleges that offer a degree in writing studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality writing studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the writing studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Writing Studies in the Great Lakes Region

1
Ferris crest
Ferris State University
Big Rapids, Michigan

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ferris State University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Ferris State University is a public institution located in Big Rapids, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Ferris did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $12,213 for great lakes region writing students per year to attend Ferris State University.

Full Ferris State University Writing Studies Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Youngstown State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Youngstown State University is located in Youngstown, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 38 ’s writing degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $12,225 for Great Lakes Region Writing students.

Read more about Writing Studies at Youngstown State University

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Bowling Green State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region. Bowling Green, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s writing degrees to 154 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at BGSU, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $18,558 for great lakes region writing students per year to attend BGSU.

Full Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Writing Studies Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Stout. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region. This medium-sized school is located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, and it awarded 24 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Stout also took the #21 spot in our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stout is $15,589 for great lakes region writing students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Writing Studies at University of Wisconsin - Stout

5

Out of the 42 schools in the Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Akron Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Akron, Ohio, and it awarded 6 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Akron Main Campus is $17,945 for Great Lakes Region Writing students.

Read more about Writing Studies at University of Akron Main Campus

6
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school handed out 37 degrees to qualified ’s writing students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $13,377 for Great Lakes Region Writing students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Writing Studies at Purdue University - Main Campus

7
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

With a ranking of #7, Western Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Kalamazoo, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s writing degrees to 34 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WMU, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WMU is $20,371 for great lakes region writing students.

Read more about Writing Studies at Western Michigan University

8

Grand Valley State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Grand Valley State University is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 37 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Grand Valley State University is $17,356 for great lakes region writing students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Writing Studies at Grand Valley State University

9

Ohio University - Athens Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Athens, Ohio, and it awarded 46 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

OHIO Athens not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus is $23,831 for great lakes region writing students.

Read more about Writing Studies at Ohio University - Athens Campus

10
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Central Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 24 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan is $16,007 for Great Lakes Region Writing students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 Writing Studies at Central Michigan University

11

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UC is a large school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 100 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

UC also took the #12 spot in our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $22,415 for great lakes region writing students.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Writing Studies at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

12
Eastern Michigan crest
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Ypsilanti, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s writing degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Eastern Michigan is $15,127 for Great Lakes Region Writing students.

Read full report on Writing Studies at Eastern Michigan

13
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Oakland University is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region writing students list, Oakland has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oakland is $13,449 for great lakes region writing students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Writing Studies at Oakland

14
Northern Michigan University crest
Northern Michigan University
Marquette, Michigan

Northern Michigan University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Marquette, Michigan, this medium-sized public school handed out 23 diplomas to qualified ’s writing students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Northern Michigan University is $15,214 for Great Lakes Region Writing students.

Full Northern Michigan University Writing Studies Report

15

With a ranking of #15, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Green Bay is a medium-sized school located in Green Bay, Wisconsin that handed out 6 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Green Bay is $13,092 for great lakes region writing students.

Read more about Writing Studies at UW - Green Bay

16
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. DePaul is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 24 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

DePaul also made our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul University is $31,174 for great lakes region writing 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 Writing Studies at DePaul

17
Saginaw Valley State University crest
Saginaw Valley State University
University Center, Michigan

Saginaw Valley State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Saginaw Valley State University is a medium-sized public school situated in University Center, Michigan. It awarded 24 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Saginaw Valley State University is $14,279 for great lakes region writing students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Writing Studies at Saginaw Valley State University

18
Columbia crest
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #18, Columbia College Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 69 diplomas to qualified ’s writing students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $26,258 for great lakes region writing students per year to attend Columbia College Chicago.

Read more about Writing Studies at Columbia

19

Miami University - Oxford landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large school located in Oxford, Ohio that handed out 100 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Miami University - Oxford, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Miami University - Oxford is $24,756 for great lakes region writing students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Writing Studies at Miami University - Oxford

20

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 10 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

SIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,285 for great lakes region writing students per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Read full report on Writing Studies at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

21

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 49 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $14,321 for great lakes region writing students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.

Full UIUC Writing Studies Report

22

With a ranking of #22, Cleveland State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s writing degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cleveland State University is $16,943 for great lakes region writing students.

Full Cleveland State University Writing Studies Report

23
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

With a ranking of #23, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school awarded 35 degrees to qualified ’s writing students in 2020-2021.

Michigan State also took the #7 spot in our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $19,058 for Great Lakes Region Writing students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national 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 University Writing Studies Report

24

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school handed out 9 degrees to qualified ’s writing students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $14,619 for great lakes region writing students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full IU Bloomington Writing Studies Report

25
Calvin crest
Calvin University
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Calvin University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified ’s writing students in 2020-2021.

Calvin also made our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $26,082 for Great Lakes Region Writing students per year to attend Calvin University.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Writing Studies at Calvin University

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