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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Accounting (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

173 Ranked Colleges
8,393 Degrees Awarded
$9,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Accounting is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 8th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 101,094 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, accounting graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $44,557 and had an average of $26,381 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 15,309 accounting graduates with average earnings and debt of $43,733 and $24,768 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 8,393 accounting graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 173 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in accounting. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent accounting programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

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

More Ways to Rank Accounting 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 Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” 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 Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Accounting (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

Out of the 173 schools in the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 374 bachelors’s accounting degrees to qualified students.

UIUC also took the #2 spot in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $5,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Accounting Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 126 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also took the #3 spot in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $4,367 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Accounting at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#3

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Notre Dame. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 100 degrees to qualified bachelors’s accounting students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k list, Notre Dame has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Notre Dame is $12,498 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Accounting at Notre Dame

#4

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Purdue is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 127 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,483 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus Accounting Report

#5

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Michigan State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Michigan State University is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 231 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $6,686 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Accounting at Michigan State

With a ranking of #6, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school awarded 451 degrees to qualified bachelors’s accounting students in 2019-2020.

Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $8,194 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Accounting at Ohio State University - Main Campus

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 96 degrees to qualified bachelors’s accounting students in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse also made our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for UW - La Crosse is $7,939 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Accounting at UW - La Crosse

With a ranking of #8, Michigan Technological University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Michigan Technological University is located in Houghton, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s accounting degrees to qualified students.

Michigan Tech also claimed a top spot on our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $8,295 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan Tech.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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 Michigan Technological University Accounting Report

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Whitewater, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s accounting degrees to 133 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater also took the #22 spot in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Whitewater is $11,868 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Accounting Report

#10

Franklin University

Columbus, Ohio

Franklin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Franklin University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 165 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Franklin University is $11,328 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Accounting at Franklin University

#11

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school situated in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It awarded 82 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire also made our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend UW - Eau Claire is $11,528 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Accounting Report

University of Wisconsin - Parkside ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Kenosha, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s accounting degrees to 42 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Parkside is $6,652 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Parkside Accounting Report

#13

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a medium-sized school located in River Falls, Wisconsin that handed out 20 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $8,366 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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 University of Wisconsin - River Falls Accounting Report

#14

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

Purdue University Northwest did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Hammond, Indiana, this medium-sized public school awarded 71 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s accounting students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue Northwest is $6,911 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Accounting at Purdue Northwest

#15

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - Stevens Point is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 bachelors’s accounting degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $11,446 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Stevens Point.

Full UW - Stevens Point Accounting Report

#16

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ball State is a large school located in Muncie, Indiana that handed out 86 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $8,403 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Accounting at Ball State

With a ranking of #17, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 172 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC also took the #24 spot in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $10,648 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Accounting at University of Illinois at Chicago

#18

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #18, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Green Bay, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s accounting degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $11,337 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Accounting at UW - Green Bay

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 83 bachelors’s accounting degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $8,055 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full SIUE Accounting Report

#20

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

With a ranking of #20, Oakland University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Rochester Hills, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s accounting degrees to 98 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Oakland University is $7,490 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Oakland University Accounting Report

#21

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Northern Illinois University is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 171 bachelors’s accounting degrees to qualified students.

NIU excels when it comes to accounting quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $15,281 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Northern Illinois University Accounting Report

#22

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. GVSU is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 142 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, GVSU also did well on our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Grand Valley State University is $11,578 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

The 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 Accounting at GVSU

#23

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. USI is a fairly large public school situated in Evansville, Indiana. It awarded 65 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,244 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USI.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Accounting at USI

#24

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Platteville landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Platteville, Wisconsin, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Platteville is $12,117 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UW - Platteville Accounting Report

#25

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan

Ferris State University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ferris State University is a fairly large public school situated in Big Rapids, Michigan. It awarded 36 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,207 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree accounting students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ferris State University.

Read full report on Accounting at Ferris State University

Rest of the Best 26 in Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 26 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

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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

Footnotes

  • *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 Pixabay.

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