2023 Best Value Colleges for General Education in the Great Lakes Region
60
Ranked Colleges
3,130
Degrees Awarded
$17,700
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
General Education is the 31st most popular major in the country with 29,810 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 3,130 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 60 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank General Education Schools
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list to help you make the college 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 when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Education in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 60 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Calvin University landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and it awarded 19 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
Calvin also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Calvin is $26,082 for Great Lakes Region General Education students.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Education at Calvin
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grand Valley State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Allendale, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general education degrees to 239 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at GVSU, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,356 for Great Lakes Region General Education students per year to attend Grand Valley State University.
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%.
Full GVSU General Education Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Stout is a medium-sized public school situated in Menomonie, Wisconsin. It awarded 89 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Stout did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,589 for Great Lakes Region General Education students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 full report on General Education at University of Wisconsin - Stout
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 75 degrees to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.
UW - Green Bay did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,092 for Great Lakes Region General Education students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay.
Full University of Wisconsin - Green Bay General Education Report
Out of the 60 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Baldwin Wallace University landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in Berea, Ohio, and it awarded 13 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
Baldwin Wallace College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Baldwin Wallace College is $25,361 for great lakes region general education students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Education at Baldwin Wallace College
With a ranking of #6, Valparaiso University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Valparaiso, Indiana, and it awarded 9 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
Valpo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $22,899 for great lakes region general education students per year to attend Valpo.
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%.
Read full report on General Education at Valpo
With a ranking of #7, Ivy Tech Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Ivy Tech Community College is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 206 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Ivy Tech Community College is $7,669 for Great Lakes Region General Education students.
Read more about General Education at Ivy Tech Community College
Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 258 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region general education students list, Purdue has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $13,377 for Great Lakes Region General Education students.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Purdue General Education Report
Purdue University Northwest ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue Northwest is located in Hammond, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 46 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Purdue Northwest is $11,384 for Great Lakes Region General Education students.
Read more about General Education at Purdue Northwest
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 148 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
UWM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UWM is $17,486 for Great Lakes Region General Education students.
Full UWM General Education Report
The University of Findlay ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Findlay is a private not-for-profit institution located in Findlay, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 70 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region general education students list, Findlay has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Findlay is $25,849 for Great Lakes Region General Education students.
The undergrad 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 Findlay
With a ranking of #12, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 233 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC also made our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $14,321 for Great Lakes Region General Education students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign General Education Report
McKendree University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Lebanon, Illinois, and it awarded 39 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $19,956 for great lakes region general education students per year to attend McKendree.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.
Read more about General Education at McKendree University
Stark State College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. Located in North Canton, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 39 degrees to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Stark State College is $5,963 for great lakes region general education students.
Read more about General Education at Stark State College
With a ranking of #15, Muskingum University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. New Concord, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general education degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $18,561 for Great Lakes Region General Education students per year to attend Muskingum University.
Read full report on General Education at Muskingum
Spring Arbor University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Spring Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general education degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Spring Arbor University is $20,543 for Great Lakes Region General Education students.
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 Spring Arbor General Education Report
Northern Illinois University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 14 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $13,956 for great lakes region general education students per year to attend Northern Illinois University.
Read full report on General Education at NIU
Western Illinois University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 10 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $15,305 for Great Lakes Region General Education students.
Read full report on General Education at Western Illinois University
With a ranking of #19, University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Platteville, Wisconsin, and it awarded 33 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $14,565 for great lakes region general education students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville.
Read full report on General Education at UW - Platteville
Rockford University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Rockford University is located in Rockford, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Rockford University is $24,103 for Great Lakes Region General Education students.
Since the school has a undergrad 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 Rockford
Kent State University at Kent came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Kent, Ohio, this large public school awarded 63 degrees to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Kent State, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Kent State is $19,117 for Great Lakes Region General Education students.
Read full report on General Education at Kent State University at Kent
With a ranking of #22, Bluffton University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Bluffton University is a small school located in Bluffton, Ohio that handed out 11 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Bluffton is $23,407 for great lakes region general education students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Education at Bluffton University
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW - Stevens Point is a public institution located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 58 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UW - Stevens Point is $13,346 for Great Lakes Region General Education students.
Read full report on General Education at UW - Stevens Point
North Park University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 6 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $18,282 for great lakes region general education students per year to attend North Park University.
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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full North Park University General Education Report
With a ranking of #25, Edgewood College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Edgewood College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 45 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Edgewood College is $25,261 for Great Lakes Region General Education 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%.
Read full report on General Education at Edgewood
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