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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Accounting in the Great Lakes Region

178 Ranked Colleges
8,393 Degrees Awarded
$15,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.

With 101,094 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, accounting is the 8th most popular major in the United States. 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 178 colleges that offer a degree 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.

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 accounting program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Accounting Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Accounting in the Great Lakes Region

Out of the 178 schools in the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #1 spot on the list. UW - La Crosse is a fairly large school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 96 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - La Crosse is $14,580 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students.

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 1.6% 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 Accounting at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

Out of the 178 schools in the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a public institution located in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 133 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $15,249 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree accounting students.

Read full report on Accounting at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Eau Claire, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s accounting degrees to 82 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire also took the #20 spot in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Eau Claire is $16,020 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students.

Read full report on Accounting at UW - Eau Claire

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Northern Illinois University is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 171 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU excels when it comes to accounting quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. It costs about $18,259 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students per year to attend Northern Illinois University.

Read full report on Accounting at Northern Illinois University

#5

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This medium-sized school is located in River Falls, Wisconsin, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,748 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree accounting students per year to attend UW - River Falls.

The 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 full report on Accounting at UW - River Falls

#6

Franklin University

Columbus, Ohio

Franklin University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 165 degrees to qualified bachelors’s accounting students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,895 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students per year to attend Franklin University.

Full Franklin University Accounting Report

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 83 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree accounting students.

Read more about Accounting at SIUE

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW Oshkosh is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s accounting degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $15,463 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students per year to attend UW Oshkosh.

Read full report on Accounting at UW Oshkosh

#9

Walsh College

Troy, Michigan

Walsh College landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small school is located in Troy, Michigan, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 Accounting at Walsh

Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Marion, Indiana, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 85 degrees to qualified bachelors’s accounting students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $22,207 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree accounting students per year to attend Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global.

Read full report on Accounting at IWU

#11

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW - Green Bay is a medium-sized school located in Green Bay, Wisconsin that handed out 32 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,395 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay.

Full University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Accounting Report

#12

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #12. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is located in Platteville, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s accounting degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Platteville is $15,718 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree accounting students.

Read full report on Accounting at UW - Platteville

#13

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #13, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Stevens Point is a public institution located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,465 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.

Full UW - Stevens Point Accounting Report

#14

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

Purdue University Northwest ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Hammond, Indiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s accounting degrees to 71 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University Northwest is $11,250 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree accounting students.

Full Purdue University Northwest Accounting Report

#15

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s 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 142 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

GVSU 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 in this category. The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $17,646 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students.

The low 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 full report on Accounting at Grand Valley State University

#16

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

With a ranking of #16, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Illinois State University is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 162 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Accounting Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $20,895 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students.

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%.

Read more about Accounting at Illinois State University

University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. 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.

It costs about $11,327 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside.

Read full report on Accounting at University of Wisconsin - Parkside

#18

Purdue University Global

Indianapolis, Indiana

Purdue University Global did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #18. Purdue University Global is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 125 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Accounting at Purdue University Global

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. SIUC is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 118 bachelors’s accounting degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $16,945 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree accounting students per year to attend SIUC.

Read full report on Accounting at SIUC

#20

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. Western Michigan University is a fairly large school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan that handed out 124 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Western Michigan University is $19,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree accounting students.

Read more about Accounting at Western Michigan University

#21

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

With a ranking of #21, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s accounting degrees to 45 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,210 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree accounting students per year to attend Western Illinois University.

Full Western Illinois University Accounting Report

#22

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Charleston, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s accounting degrees to 39 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Eastern Illinois University is $14,607 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students.

Full EIU Accounting Report

#23

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio

With a ranking of #23, Youngstown State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Youngstown State University is a public institution located in Youngstown, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $11,947 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Accounting students.

Read full report on Accounting at Youngstown State University

#24

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan

Ferris State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Ferris State University is a fairly large school located in Big Rapids, Michigan that handed out 36 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,889 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree accounting students per year to attend Ferris.

Read more about Accounting at Ferris

With a ranking of #25, Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Bowling Green, Ohio, and it awarded 113 bachelors’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend BGSU is $18,394 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree accounting students.

Full Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Accounting Report

Rest of the Best 27 in Best Value Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region

Not only did these schools make the top 27 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

University of Wisconsin - Superior

Superior, Wisconsin

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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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