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

31 Ranked Colleges
633 Degrees Awarded
$14,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 6,169 people earned their degree in business economics, making the major the 121st most popular in the United States.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 687 business economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 633 business economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 31 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in business economics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent business economics 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 business economics program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 Business Economics 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 business economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ohio State is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 91 bachelors’s business economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Business Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $8,194 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree business economics 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 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Business Economics at Ohio State

#2

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin
#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Beloit College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Beloit College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Beloit, Wisconsin. It awarded 20 bachelors’s business economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Beloit did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Business Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $8,574 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree business economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Beloit.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Beloit Business Economics Report

#16 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 34 bachelors’s business economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Business Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $8,055 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree business economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Business Economics at SIUE

#4

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Grand Valley State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. GVSU is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 55 bachelors’s business economics degrees in 2019-2020.

GVSU also took the #9 spot in our “Best Business Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for GVSU is $11,578 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree business economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full GVSU Business Economics Report

#5

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan
#19 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Oakland University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oakland University is a fairly large school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 4 bachelors’s business economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree business economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Oakland has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Business Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $7,490 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree business economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oakland University.

Read full report on Business Economics at Oakland University

#6

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Wheaton College Illinois did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Wheaton, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 66 degrees to qualified bachelors’s business economics students in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Business Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $18,440 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree business economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Wheaton College Illinois Business Economics Report

#6 in overall quality

Miami University - Oxford did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Oxford, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s business economics degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree business economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Miami University - Oxford has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Business Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,759 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree business economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Miami University - Oxford.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read more about Business Economics at Miami University - Oxford

#8

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan

Saginaw Valley State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Saginaw Valley State University is a medium-sized school located in University Center, Michigan that handed out 6 bachelors’s business economics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,522 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Business Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Saginaw Valley State University.

Read more about Business Economics at Saginaw Valley State University

#9

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio

Youngstown State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Youngstown, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 3 degrees to qualified bachelors’s business economics students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $9,069 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree business economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Youngstown State University Business Economics Report

#10

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Lewis University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Romeoville, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s business economics students in 2019-2020.

Lewis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Business Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Lewis is $12,821 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree business economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 full report on Business Economics at Lewis University

#23 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s business economics degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

SIUC also took the #23 spot in our “Best Business Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $13,658 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree business economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Business Economics at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#25 in overall quality

Wright State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Wright State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Dayton, Ohio. It awarded 24 bachelors’s business economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Wright State University - Main Campus also made our “Best Business Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for Wright State University - Main Campus is $13,460 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Business Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Wright State University - Main Campus Business Economics Report

#13

Marquette University

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Marquette University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s business economics degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

Marquette also took the #3 spot in our “Best Business Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Marquette University is $19,169 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Business Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive 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 students.

Read more about Business Economics at Marquette University

#14

Hope College

Holland, Michigan
#7 in overall quality

Hope College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Hope College is a small school located in Holland, Michigan that handed out 10 bachelors’s business economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Hope also took the #7 spot in our “Best Business Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Hope College is $16,113 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Business Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Business Economics at Hope

#15

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

Western Illinois University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. WIU is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s business economics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WIU, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Business Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $13,942 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree business economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full WIU Business Economics Report

#16

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Bradley University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bradley is a medium-sized school located in Peoria, Illinois that handed out 6 bachelors’s business economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree business economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Bradley has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Business Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley University is $17,205 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree business economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, 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 86%.

Full Bradley Business Economics Report

#17

Cedarville University

Cedarville, Ohio
#14 in overall quality

Cedarville University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Cedarville, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s business economics students in 2019-2020.

Cedarville also took the #14 spot in our “Best Business Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cedarville University is $16,897 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree business economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Business Economics at Cedarville

#18

University of Dayton

Dayton, Ohio
#4 in overall quality

University of Dayton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Dayton, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s business economics degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.

UDayton also took the #4 spot in our “Best Business Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UDayton is $24,237 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree business economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, 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.

Read more about Business Economics at UDayton

#19

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Eastern Michigan University is a public institution located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan is $13,904 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree business economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Eastern Michigan University Business Economics Report

Kent State University at Kent did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Kent, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s business economics degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Kent State is $13,915 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Business Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Kent State Business Economics Report

#21

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland State University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cleveland State University is a fairly large public school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 13 bachelors’s business economics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,213 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Business Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cleveland State University.

Read more about Business Economics at Cleveland State University

#22

University of Indianapolis

Indianapolis, Indiana

University of Indianapolis ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s business economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Indianapolis is $16,185 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree business economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Indianapolis Business Economics Report

#23

Northwood University

Midland, Michigan
#21 in overall quality

Northwood University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Midland, Michigan, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s business economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwood also took the #21 spot in our “Best Business Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwood University is $14,573 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree business economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Business Economics at Northwood University

#24

Carroll University

Waukesha, Wisconsin
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, Carroll University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s business economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree business economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Carroll U has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Business Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Carroll University is $19,900 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Business Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 Business Economics at Carroll University

#18 in overall quality

Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Business Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. OHIO Athens is a large public school situated in Athens, Ohio. It awarded 17 bachelors’s business economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at OHIO Athens, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Business Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio University - Athens Campus is $17,584 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree business economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Business Economics at Ohio University - Athens Campus

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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.

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