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2023 Best Value Colleges for Curriculum & Instruction in the Great Lakes Region

51 Ranked Colleges
2,820 Degrees Awarded
$18,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 19,832 people earned their degree in curriculum and instruction, making the major the 55th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, curriculum and instruction graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $50,993 and had an average of $28,557 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 2,820 curriculum and instruction graduates with average earnings and debt of $52,836 and $26,727 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 51 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in curriculum and instruction. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent curriculum and instruction 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 curriculum and instruction program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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

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 by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region curriculum students.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Curriculum & Instruction in the Great Lakes Region

1
Alverno crest
Alverno College
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Alverno College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Alverno is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 20 ’s curriculum degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Alverno, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Curriculum & Instruction Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Alverno College is $19,437 for Great Lakes Region Curriculum students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Alverno Curriculum & Instruction Report

2
Concordia University, Chicago crest
Concordia University, Chicago
River Forest, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Concordia University, Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region. Concordia University, Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in River Forest, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 145 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Concordia University, Chicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Curriculum & Instruction Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Chicago is $17,051 for great lakes region curriculum students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Curriculum & Instruction at Concordia University, Chicago

3
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McKendree University
Lebanon, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend McKendree University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region. McKendree is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lebanon, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

McKendree also made our “Best Curriculum & Instruction Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend McKendree is $19,956 for great lakes region curriculum students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Curriculum & Instruction at McKendree

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 51 ’s curriculum degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Curriculum & Instruction Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $20,830 for Great Lakes Region Curriculum students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Curriculum & Instruction at Illinois State

5
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Wisconsin Lutheran College
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Out of the 51 schools in the Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Wisconsin Lutheran College landed the #5 spot on the list. Wisconsin Lutheran College is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s curriculum degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WLC, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Curriculum & Instruction Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WLC is $20,927 for Great Lakes Region Curriculum students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Wisconsin Lutheran College Curriculum & Instruction Report

6
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National Louis University
Chicago, Illinois

National Louis University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 222 diplomas to qualified ’s curriculum students in 2020-2021.

NLU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Curriculum & Instruction Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,584 for Great Lakes Region Curriculum students per year to attend National Louis University.

Read more about Curriculum & Instruction at National Louis University

7
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Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Olivet Nazarene University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bourbonnais, Illinois. It awarded 120 ’s curriculum degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region curriculum students list, Olivet Nazarene has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Curriculum & Instruction Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene is $19,470 for Great Lakes Region Curriculum students.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Curriculum & Instruction at Olivet Nazarene University

8

University of Akron Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Akron Main Campus is a public institution located in Akron, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Akron Main Campus also took the #17 spot in our “Best Curriculum & Instruction Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $17,945 for Great Lakes Region Curriculum students.

Full University of Akron Main Campus Curriculum & Instruction Report

9
University of Saint Francis crest
University of St Francis
Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Saint Francis is located in Joliet, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 207 ’s curriculum degrees to qualified students.

University of Saint Francis also took the #14 spot in our “Best Curriculum & Instruction Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,102 for Great Lakes Region Curriculum students per year to attend University of St Francis.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Curriculum & Instruction at University of Saint Francis

10

Northern Illinois University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 25 ’s curriculum degrees in 2020-2021.

NIU also took the #19 spot in our “Best Curriculum & Instruction Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,956 for great lakes region curriculum students per year to attend NIU.

Read more about Curriculum & Instruction at NIU

11
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, Illinois

With a ranking of #11, Aurora University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Aurora is a medium-sized school located in Aurora, Illinois that handed out 13 ’s curriculum degrees in 2020-2021.

Aurora also made our “Best Curriculum & Instruction Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $16,994 for great lakes region curriculum students per year to attend Aurora University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Aurora Curriculum & Instruction Report

12
Ashland crest
Ashland University
Ashland, Ohio

Ashland University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #12. Ashland is a small school located in Ashland, Ohio that handed out 28 ’s curriculum degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Ashland is $20,974 for Great Lakes Region Curriculum students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Curriculum & Instruction at Ashland

13
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Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

With a ranking of #13, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s curriculum degrees to 174 students in 2020-2021.

Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Curriculum & Instruction Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,377 for great lakes region curriculum students per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Curriculum & Instruction at Purdue University - Main Campus

14
Otterbein crest
Otterbein University
Westerville, Ohio

Otterbein University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Westerville, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 degrees to qualified ’s curriculum students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region curriculum students list, Otterbein has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Curriculum & Instruction Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $22,881 for Great Lakes Region Curriculum students per year to attend Otterbein.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Otterbein Curriculum & Instruction Report

15

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 97 ’s curriculum degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also made our “Best Curriculum & Instruction Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,234 for great lakes region curriculum students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Curriculum & Instruction at UW - Madison

16
Carroll U crest
Carroll University
Waukesha, Wisconsin

Carroll University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Waukesha, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s curriculum degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Carroll University is $22,987 for Great Lakes Region Curriculum students.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Curriculum & Instruction at Carroll University

17
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. DePaul University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 17 ’s curriculum degrees in 2020-2021.

DePaul also took the #7 spot in our “Best Curriculum & Instruction Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $31,174 for great lakes region curriculum students per year to attend DePaul University.

The low undergrad 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 more about Curriculum & Instruction at DePaul

18
Lewis crest
Lewis University
Romeoville, Illinois

Lewis University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Romeoville, Illinois, and it awarded 21 ’s curriculum degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $19,074 for great lakes region curriculum students per year to attend Lewis.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 Curriculum & Instruction at Lewis

19
Indiana State crest
Indiana State University
Terre Haute, Indiana

Indiana State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Indiana State is located in Terre Haute, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 ’s curriculum degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $14,270 for great lakes region curriculum students per year to attend Indiana State.

Read more about Curriculum & Instruction at Indiana State University

20

Concordia University, Wisconsin did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. Concordia University, Wisconsin is located in Mequon, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 46 ’s curriculum degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $22,996 for great lakes region curriculum students per year to attend Concordia University, Wisconsin.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 Concordia University, Wisconsin Curriculum & Instruction Report

21
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, Illinois

North Central College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Naperville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s curriculum degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.

North Central also made our “Best Curriculum & Instruction Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $25,199 for Great Lakes Region Curriculum students per year to attend North Central College.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full North Central Curriculum & Instruction Report

22
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Central Michigan is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 50 ’s curriculum degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan is $16,007 for great lakes region curriculum students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Curriculum & Instruction at Central Michigan University

23

Grand Valley State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Curriculum Schools 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 67 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $17,356 for great lakes region curriculum students.

The undergrad 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 Curriculum & Instruction at GVSU

24
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Ferris State University
Big Rapids, Michigan

Ferris State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Big Rapids, Michigan, and it awarded 7 ’s curriculum degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,213 for great lakes region curriculum students per year to attend Ferris State University.

Read full report on Curriculum & Instruction at Ferris

25

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Curriculum Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s curriculum degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,462 for Great Lakes Region Curriculum students.

Read more about Curriculum & Instruction at SIUE

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