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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Education in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

42 Ranked Colleges
1,058 Degrees Awarded
$18,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 29,936 people earned their degree in general education, making the major the 28th most popular in the United States.

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 Getting Aid” ranking looked at 42 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general education programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general education program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank General Education Schools

The general education school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid”.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

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 Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Education in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - Green Bay is a public institution located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 74 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Green Bay also took the #8 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,395 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students with aid per year to attend UW - Green Bay.

Read more about General Education at UW - Green Bay

#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 13 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Read more about General Education at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#3

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#9 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 Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general education degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

Purdue also took the #9 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,986 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 General Education at Purdue University - Main Campus

#4

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#1 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 Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Michigan State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Michigan State is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 157 bachelors’s general education degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students with aid list, Michigan State has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $19,173 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students with aid per year to attend Michigan State University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Education at Michigan State University

#12 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. UWM is a public institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 153 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UWM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $17,876 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students with aid per year to attend UWM.

Full University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee General Education Report

#6

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#5 in overall quality

Grand Valley State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid 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. It costs about $17,646 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students with aid per year to attend Grand Valley State University.

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 more about General Education at Grand Valley State University

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 Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. University of Michigan - Dearborn is a public institution located in Dearborn, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Dearborn is $11,473 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students with aid.

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%.

Read more about General Education at UM Dearborn

#8

Manchester University

North Manchester, Indiana
#25 in overall quality

Manchester University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. North Manchester, Indiana 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.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students with aid list, Manchester University has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,557 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students with aid per year to attend Manchester University.

Full Manchester University General Education Report

#9

Alverno College

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
#19 in overall quality

Alverno College landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Alverno is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 11 bachelors’s general education 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. It costs about $15,491 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students with aid per year to attend Alverno College.

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.

Full Alverno College General Education Report

#10

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in River Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,512 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students with aid per year to attend Concordia University, Chicago.

Full Concordia University, Chicago General Education Report

#11

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Jacksonville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general education students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Illinois College is $16,562 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students with aid.

Full Illinois College General Education Report

#12

Mount St. Joseph University

Cincinnati, Ohio
#24 in overall quality

Mount St. Joseph University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Cincinnati, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general education degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

Mount St. Joe not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $21,913 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students with aid per year to attend Mount St. Joseph University.

Read more about General Education at Mount St. Joseph University

Kent State University at Kent came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Kent, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general education degrees to 95 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,885 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students with aid per year to attend Kent State.

Read more about General Education at Kent State

#14

Ohio Dominican University

Columbus, Ohio

Ohio Dominican University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Ohio Dominican University is $19,960 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students with aid.

Read more about General Education at ODU

#15

Marietta College

Marietta, Ohio
#23 in overall quality

Marietta College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Marietta is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Marietta, Ohio. It awarded 6 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

Marietta also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for Marietta College is $20,786 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students with aid.

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.

Full Marietta General Education Report

#16

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin
#11 in overall quality

Beloit College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Beloit, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general education degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students with aid list, Beloit has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Beloit is $11,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students with aid.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Education at Beloit College

#17

University of Evansville

Evansville, Indiana
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, University of Evansville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UE is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Evansville, Indiana. It awarded 2 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

UE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $21,626 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students with aid per year to attend UE.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at UE

#18

Hiram College

Hiram, Ohio

Hiram College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Hiram is a small school located in Hiram, Ohio that handed out 11 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $21,294 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students with aid per year to attend Hiram.

Read more about General Education at Hiram College

#19

Wilmington College

Wilmington, Ohio
#20 in overall quality

Wilmington College landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Wilmington, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 30 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general education students in 2019-2020.

Wilmington College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wilmington College is $21,216 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students with aid.

Full Wilmington College General Education Report

#19

Marian University

Indianapolis, Indiana

Marian University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Marian is a private not-for-profit institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Marian is $19,658 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students with aid.

Read more about General Education at Marian

#21

Baker College

Owosso, Michigan

Baker College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Baker College is located in Owosso, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s general education degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Baker College is $15,049 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students with aid.

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.

Full Baker College General Education Report

#22

Siena Heights University

Adrian, Michigan

Siena Heights University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Siena Heights University is located in Adrian, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s general education degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Siena Heights University is $21,249 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students with aid.

Full Siena Heights University General Education Report

University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne is $17,796 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students with aid.

Read more about General Education at University of St. Francis Fort Wayne

#24

Greenville University

Greenville, Illinois

Greenville 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 Getting Aid ranking. Greenville is a small school located in Greenville, Illinois that handed out 4 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Greenville is $20,689 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students with aid.

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 more about General Education at Greenville University

#25

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

Elmhurst University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Elmhurst University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 1 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst is $21,485 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students with aid.

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 full report on 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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