2026 Best Value Other Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Other Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/entrepreneurial-studies/entrepreneurial-and-small-business-operations-other/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong other entrepreneurial and small business operations education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools to find the best return on investment for other entrepreneurial and small business operations students.
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2026 Best Value Other Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in other entrepreneurial and small business operations, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Other Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Schools
For return on investment in other entrepreneurial and small business operations, no school beat Madison Area Technical College this year. Madison Area Technical College is a large public school located in the city of Madison. Students from in state pay about $4,977 in tuition and fees, compared with $7,141 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for other entrepreneurial and small business operations graduates is $16,812. Soon after graduation, other entrepreneurial and small business operations degree recipients from Madison Area Technical College generally make around $44,279. That is a strong return on a $16,812 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Northern Michigan University earned it the #2 place for other entrepreneurial and small business operations. Set in the town of Marquette, Northern Michigan University is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $14,322 in tuition and fees, compared with $19,944 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $22,608 to complete the other entrepreneurial and small business operations program here. Soon after graduation, other entrepreneurial and small business operations degree recipients from Northern Michigan University generally make around $40,508. Set against $22,608 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
