2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid
60
Ranked Colleges
3,130
Degrees Awarded
$15,300
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 29,810 people earned their degree in general education, making the major the 41st most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, general education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $48,719 and had an average of $23,394 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 3,130 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,937 and $23,962 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 60 colleges that offered a degree in general education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general education programs that also have a lower cost than 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 general education program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region education students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Education in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Purdue University - Main Campus is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 258 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #2 spot 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 education students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on General Education at Purdue University - Main Campus
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 Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 233 students in 2020-2021.
UIUC also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $14,321 for great lakes region education students with aid.
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 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
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Michigan State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 186 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $19,058 for great lakes region education students with aid per year to attend Michigan State.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, 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 91%.
Read more about General Education at Michigan State
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ivy Tech Community College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Ivy Tech Community College is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 206 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $7,669 for great lakes region education students with aid per year to attend Ivy Tech Community College.
Read more about General Education at Ivy Tech Community College
Out of the 60 schools in the Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #5 spot on the list. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 124 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $14,878 for Great Lakes Region Education students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor General Education Report
With a ranking of #6, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 148 ’s 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. It costs about $17,486 for Great Lakes Region Education students with aid per year to attend UWM.
Read more about General Education at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - Green Bay is a medium-sized school located in Green Bay, Wisconsin that handed out 75 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Green Bay not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Green Bay is $13,092 for Great Lakes Region Education students with aid.
Full University of Wisconsin - Green Bay General Education Report
Grand Valley State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. GVSU is located in Allendale, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 239 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
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 education students with aid per year to attend GVSU.
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 General Education at GVSU
University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. University of Michigan - Dearborn is a medium-sized public school situated in Dearborn, Michigan. It awarded 29 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Dearborn is $12,855 for great lakes region education students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at UM Dearborn
Purdue University Northwest came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Purdue University Northwest is located in Hammond, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 46 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University Northwest is $11,384 for great lakes region education students with aid.
Read more about General Education at Purdue University Northwest
Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 2 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,619 for Great Lakes Region Education students with aid per year to attend IU Bloomington.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at Indiana University - Bloomington
Stark State College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Stark State College is located in North Canton, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 39 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Stark State College is $5,963 for Great Lakes Region Education students with aid.
Read more about General Education at Stark State College
University of Wisconsin - Stout ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - Stout is located in Menomonie, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 89 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region education students with aid list, UW - Stout has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,589 for Great Lakes Region Education students with aid per year to attend UW - Stout.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UW - Stout General Education Report
Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 281 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region education students with aid list, Ohio State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $16,845 for Great Lakes Region Education students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Ohio State
With a ranking of #15, University of Michigan - Flint did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UM Flint is a public institution located in Flint, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 47 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $12,689 for Great Lakes Region Education students with aid per year to attend University of Michigan - Flint.
Full UM Flint General Education Report
Concordia University, Chicago landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Concordia University, Chicago is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
Concordia University, Chicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Chicago is $17,051 for Great Lakes Region Education students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Education at Concordia University, Chicago
Eastern Michigan University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Eastern Michigan is a public institution located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Eastern Michigan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan is $15,127 for great lakes region education students with aid.
Read full report on General Education at Eastern Michigan
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 58 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UW - Stevens Point is $13,346 for great lakes region education students with aid.
Read full report on General Education at UW - Stevens Point
With a ranking of #19, University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - Platteville is a medium-sized public school situated in Platteville, Wisconsin. It awarded 33 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $14,565 for Great Lakes Region Education students with aid.
Read full report on General Education at UW - Platteville
Saginaw Valley State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. This medium-sized school is located in University Center, Michigan, and it awarded 2 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $14,279 for great lakes region education students with aid per year to attend Saginaw Valley State University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at Saginaw Valley State University
Kent State University at Kent ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Kent State is a public institution located in Kent, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 63 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Kent State also took the #25 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Kent State is $19,117 for great lakes region education students with aid.
Read full report on General Education at Kent State University at Kent
Miami University - Oxford came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Oxford, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 25 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
Miami University - Oxford also made our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $24,756 for great lakes region education students with aid per year to attend Miami University - Oxford.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 full report on General Education at Miami University - Oxford
Alverno College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Alverno is $19,437 for Great Lakes Region Education students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate 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.
Read full report on General Education at Alverno College
Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. WIU is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 10 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $15,305 for great lakes region education students with aid per year to attend WIU.
Read full report on General Education at Western Illinois University
Valparaiso University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Valparaiso, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 9 students 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 Education students with aid 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 Valparaiso University
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