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2022 Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region

121 Ranked Colleges
8,465 Degrees Awarded
$15,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.

With 52,394 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, finance is the 10th most popular major in the United States.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 9,217 finance graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 8,465 finance graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 121 colleges that offered a degree in finance. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great finance programs and 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 finance program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Finance Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

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

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

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

#12 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. UW - La Crosse is a public institution located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 170 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse also took the #12 spot in our “Best Finance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $14,580 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Finance students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, 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%.

Read more about Finance at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

#19 in overall quality

Out of the 121 schools in the Best Value Finance 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 located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 219 bachelors’s finance degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree finance students list, UW - Whitewater has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Finance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $15,249 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Finance students.

Read full report on Finance at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

#20 in overall quality

Out of the 121 schools in the Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #3 spot on the list. Eau Claire, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s finance degrees to 101 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Finance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Eau Claire is $16,020 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree finance students.

Read full report on Finance at UW - Eau Claire

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UW Oshkosh is a fairly large school located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin that handed out 80 bachelors’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $15,463 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Finance students.

Read more about Finance at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

#5

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Out of the 121 schools in the Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #5 spot on the list. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 90 bachelors’s finance degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $18,259 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree finance students per year to attend Northern Illinois University.

Read more about Finance at NIU

#6

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#22 in overall quality

Grand Valley State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Grand Valley State University is located in Allendale, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 271 bachelors’s finance degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree finance students list, GVSU has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Finance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,646 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Finance students per year to attend GVSU.

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 more about Finance at GVSU

#7

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW - Stevens Point is a medium-sized school located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin that handed out 21 bachelors’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $14,465 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree finance students.

Read full report on Finance at UW - Stevens Point

#8

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 245 bachelors’s finance degrees to qualified students.

Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Finance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $20,895 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree finance 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%.

Full Illinois State University Finance Report

#9

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. WMU is a fairly large school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan that handed out 127 bachelors’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $19,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree finance students per year to attend WMU.

Full Western Michigan University Finance Report

#10

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

Purdue University Northwest ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Finance 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 finance degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

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

Read more about Finance at Purdue University Northwest

#11

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 26 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s finance students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,607 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree finance students per year to attend EIU.

Full Eastern Illinois University Finance Report

With a ranking of #12, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s finance degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,945 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree finance students per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Read more about Finance at SIUC

#13

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan

With a ranking of #13, Ferris State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Big Rapids, Michigan, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,889 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Finance students per year to attend Ferris.

Full Ferris State University Finance Report

#14

Walsh College

Troy, Michigan

Walsh College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Walsh is a small school located in Troy, Michigan that handed out 36 bachelors’s finance 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%.

Full Walsh College Finance Report

#15

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s finance degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $16,210 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Finance students.

Read full report on Finance at Western Illinois University

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Bowling Green, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 66 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s finance students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for BGSU is $18,394 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree finance students.

Read full report on Finance at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus

#17

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio

Youngstown State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Youngstown State University is a fairly large school located in Youngstown, Ohio that handed out 41 bachelors’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

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

Full Youngstown State University Finance Report

#18

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UWM is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 230 bachelors’s finance degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for UWM is $17,876 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Finance students.

Read full report on Finance at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

#19

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#8 in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 202 bachelors’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue also made our “Best Finance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,986 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree finance students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus Finance Report

#20

Franklin University

Columbus, Ohio

Franklin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s finance degrees to 39 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,895 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree finance students per year to attend Franklin University.

Read full report on Finance at Franklin University

#21

Mount Vernon Nazarene University

Mount Vernon, Ohio

Mount Vernon Nazarene University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. MVNU is a small school located in Mount Vernon, Ohio that handed out 12 bachelors’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for MVNU is $20,282 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Finance students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 MVNU Finance Report

#22

Lake Superior State University

Sault Ste Marie, Michigan

Lake Superior State University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Lake Superior State University is a small school located in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan that handed out 10 bachelors’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Lake Superior State University is $12,398 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree finance students.

Read full report on Finance at Lake Superior State University

#23

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. USI is a fairly large public school situated in Evansville, Indiana. It awarded 60 bachelors’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern Indiana is $13,437 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Finance students.

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%.

Full USI Finance Report

Kent State University at Kent came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Kent State is located in Kent, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 116 bachelors’s finance degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Kent State University at Kent is $18,885 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Finance students.

Full Kent State Finance Report

#25

Purdue University Global

Indianapolis, Indiana

Purdue University Global came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Purdue University Global is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s finance degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Finance at Purdue University Global

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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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