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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Education (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

42 Ranked Colleges
1,058 Degrees Awarded
$15,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

General Education is the 28th most popular major in the country with 29,936 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 3,216 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,058 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 42 colleges that offered a degree in general education. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general education 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 general education program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique 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 General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Education (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $5,879 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on General Education at Purdue University - Main Campus

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 42 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general education students in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $8,464 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UIUC General Education Report

#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Green Bay, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general education degrees to 74 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Green Bay also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Green Bay is $11,641 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on General Education at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

#4

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin
#11 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Beloit College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Beloit, Wisconsin, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 16 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general education students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Beloit, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Beloit is $7,628 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 more about General Education at Beloit College

#5

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 42 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Grand Valley State University landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Allendale, Michigan, and it awarded 221 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

GVSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $12,459 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 General Education at Grand Valley State University

#6

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#1 in overall quality

Michigan State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 157 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k list, Michigan State has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $15,197 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The 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 General Education at Michigan State

#12 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general education degrees to 153 students in 2019-2020.

UWM also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UWM is $14,957 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Education at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

#8

Denison University

Granville, Ohio
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Denison University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Denison is a private not-for-profit institution located in Granville, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k list, Denison has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Denison is $13,909 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low 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 Denison University General Education Report

University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Dearborn, Michigan, this medium-sized public school handed out 11 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general education students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Dearborn is $8,057 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UM Dearborn General Education Report

#10

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Lake Forest College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Lake Forest, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general education degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest is $19,152 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Education at Lake Forest

#11

John Carroll University

University Heights, Ohio
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, John Carroll University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. John Carroll University is a small school located in University Heights, Ohio that handed out 27 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

John Carroll did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $21,949 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend John Carroll University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at John Carroll University

#12

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

With a ranking of #12, Illinois College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Illinois College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Jacksonville, Illinois. It awarded 2 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Illinois College is $12,454 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Illinois College General Education Report

#13

Marian University

Indianapolis, Indiana

Marian University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Marian University is $13,773 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Education at Marian University

#14

Mount St. Joseph University

Cincinnati, Ohio
#24 in overall quality

Mount St. Joseph University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Mount St. Joe is a small school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 9 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

Mount St. Joe also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $14,803 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Mount St. Joseph University.

Full Mount St. Joseph University General Education Report

#15

DePauw University

Greencastle, Indiana
#7 in overall quality

DePauw University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. This small school is located in Greencastle, Indiana, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePauw, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $19,206 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend DePauw University.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on General Education at DePauw University

#16

Marietta College

Marietta, Ohio
#23 in overall quality

Marietta College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Marietta is a private not-for-profit institution located in Marietta, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Marietta also took the #23 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Marietta College is $16,891 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on General Education at Marietta College

#17

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #17, Concordia University, Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 7 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Chicago is $15,406 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on General Education at Concordia University, Chicago

Kent State University at Kent ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Kent State is a large school located in Kent, Ohio that handed out 95 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Kent State University at Kent is $15,374 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Education at Kent State University at Kent

#19

Manchester University

North Manchester, Indiana
#25 in overall quality

Manchester University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Manchester University is a small school located in North Manchester, Indiana that handed out 11 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

Manchester University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Manchester University is $14,730 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Manchester University General Education Report

#21 in overall quality

Miami University - Oxford came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Oxford, Ohio, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k list, Miami University - Oxford has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Miami University - Oxford is $17,692 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Education at Miami University - Oxford

#21

Alverno College

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
#19 in overall quality

Alverno College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. Alverno College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Alverno not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Alverno College is $13,949 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on General Education at Alverno

#22

Hiram College

Hiram, Ohio

Hiram College landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Hiram is located in Hiram, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s general education degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Hiram College is $20,336 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on General Education at Hiram

#23

Taylor University

Upland, Indiana
#17 in overall quality

Taylor University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. Taylor University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Upland, Indiana. It awarded 3 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

Taylor U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Taylor University is $21,171 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 more about General Education at Taylor University

#24

Marquette University

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
#2 in overall quality

Marquette University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Marquette is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 13 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

Marquette also took the #2 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Marquette University is $20,955 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read full report on General Education at Marquette University

#25

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

Elmhurst University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. Elmhurst, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general education degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst also took the #22 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,837 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Elmhurst.

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

Read more about General Education at Elmhurst

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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 KOKUYO.

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