2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2019-2020, 29,936 people earned their degree in general education, making the major the 35th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, general education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $47,138 and had an average of $29,674 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 3,216 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,306 and $27,810 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 Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” 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.
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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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Best Value 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 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
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Purdue is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s 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 University - Main Campus is $5,879 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Out of the 42 schools in the Best Value 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. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,464 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIUC.
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%.
Out of the 42 schools in the Best Value 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 Wisconsin - Green Bay landed the #3 spot on the list. UW - Green Bay is a medium-sized school located in Green Bay, Wisconsin that handed out 74 bachelors’s education degrees 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. It costs about $11,641 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay.
Full University of Wisconsin - Green Bay General Education Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Beloit College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value 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 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k 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 College is $7,628 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grand Valley State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school handed out 221 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.
GVSU also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $12,459 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #6, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Michigan State University is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 157 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Michigan State also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $15,197 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on General Education at Michigan State University
With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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 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 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is $14,957 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
Denison University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Granville, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 22 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.
Denison also took the #6 spot 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 education students whose families make $30-$48k.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, 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 85%.
University of Michigan - Dearborn ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Michigan - Dearborn is located in Dearborn, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $8,057 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UM Dearborn.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Michigan - Dearborn General Education Report
With a ranking of #10, Lake Forest College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Lake Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s education degrees 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 yearly cost to attend Lake Forest is $19,152 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.
John Carroll University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value 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 education degrees in 2019-2020.
John Carroll also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for John Carroll is $21,949 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low 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%.
Illinois College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Illinois College is a small school located in Jacksonville, Illinois that handed out 2 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,454 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Illinois College.
Marian University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Marian is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Marian is $13,773 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k.
Mount St. Joseph University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.
Mount St. Joe also took the #24 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mount St. Joseph University is $14,803 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on General Education at Mount St. Joseph University
DePauw University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Greencastle, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students 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. The yearly cost to attend DePauw University is $19,206 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.
With a ranking of #16, Marietta College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Marietta College is located in Marietta, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.
Marietta not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Marietta College is $16,891 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Concordia University, Chicago landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 7 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Chicago is $15,406 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about General Education at Concordia University, Chicago
Kent State University at Kent came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Kent State is located in Kent, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 95 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $15,374 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Kent State University at Kent.
Manchester University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Manchester University is a private not-for-profit institution located in North Manchester, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Manchester University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #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 Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on General Education at Manchester University
Miami University - Oxford ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large public school situated in Oxford, Ohio. It awarded 12 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree 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 education students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Read more about General Education at Miami University - Oxford
Alverno College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k list, Alverno has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,949 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Alverno.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Hiram College landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Hiram College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hiram, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $20,336 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Hiram.
Taylor University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Upland, Indiana, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Taylor U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Taylor U is $21,171 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.
Marquette University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Marquette did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Marquette University is $20,955 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Elmhurst University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value 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 education degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Elmhurst, the school also landed 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 Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Elmhurst University.
The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%.
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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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