2023 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region
14
Ranked Colleges
1,233
Degrees Awarded
$19,800
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 9,231 people earned their degree in ethnic studies, making the major the 99th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, ethnic studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $30,818 and had an average of $22,901 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,233 ethnic studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,424 and $26,274 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 14 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in ethnic studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality ethnic 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 ethnic studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Ethnic Studies Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region.
Top 14 Best Value Colleges for Ethnic Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Grand Valley State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Grand Valley State University is a large school located in Allendale, Michigan that handed out 16 ’s ethnic studies degrees in 2020-2021.
GVSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Grand Valley State University is $17,356 for Great Lakes Region Ethnic Studies students.
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%.
Read more about Ethnic Studies at Grand Valley State University
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Michigan University landed the #2 spot on the list. Ypsilanti, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ethnic studies degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.
Eastern Michigan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,127 for Great Lakes Region Ethnic Studies students per year to attend Eastern Michigan.
Read more about Ethnic Studies at Eastern Michigan University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 43 diplomas to qualified ’s ethnic studies students in 2020-2021.
UWM also took the #13 spot in our “Best Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,486 for great lakes region ethnic studies students per year to attend UWM.
Full UWM Ethnic Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 49 ’s ethnic studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UIC also took the #9 spot in our “Best Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,214 for great lakes region ethnic studies 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%.
Full University of Illinois at Chicago Ethnic Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 324 ’s ethnic studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $17,234 for Great Lakes Region Ethnic Studies students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Ethnic Studies at UW - Madison
Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ethnic studies degrees to 42 students in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington also took the #5 spot in our “Best Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $14,619 for great lakes region ethnic studies students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read full report on Ethnic Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington
DePaul University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 26 ’s ethnic studies degrees in 2020-2021.
DePaul not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $31,174 for Great Lakes Region Ethnic Studies students per year to attend DePaul.
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 Ethnic Studies at DePaul University
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC also made our “Best Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $14,321 for Great Lakes Region Ethnic Studies students per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Ethnic Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ethnic studies degrees to 57 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region ethnic studies students list, Ohio State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,845 for great lakes region ethnic studies students per year to attend Ohio State.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Ethnic Studies at Ohio State University - Main Campus
Miami University - Oxford landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large school located in Oxford, Ohio that handed out 21 ’s ethnic studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Miami University - Oxford also took the #4 spot in our “Best Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Miami University - Oxford is $24,756 for Great Lakes Region Ethnic Studies students.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full Miami University - Oxford Ethnic Studies Report
With a ranking of #11, Aurora University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Aurora University is a medium-sized school located in Aurora, Illinois that handed out 9 ’s ethnic studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Aurora also made our “Best Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Aurora University is $16,994 for great lakes region ethnic studies students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 Ethnic Studies at Aurora University
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 52 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $14,878 for great lakes region ethnic studies students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ethnic Studies Report
Oberlin College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Oberlin College is located in Oberlin, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s ethnic studies degrees to qualified students.
Oberlin also made our “Best Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Oberlin is $34,777 for great lakes region ethnic studies students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read more about Ethnic Studies at Oberlin College
University of Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 24 ’s ethnic studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region ethnic studies students list, UChicago has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Ethnic Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $28,517 for great lakes region ethnic studies students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read more about Ethnic Studies at UChicago
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Notes and References
References
- 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to G. MГјtzel.
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