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2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

37 Ranked Colleges
1,408 Degrees Awarded
$21,400 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Education Schools for a Master's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

General Education is the 35th most popular major in the country with 29,936 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,408 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,039 and $42,488 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 37 colleges that offer 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The 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 Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

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

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid.

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

#1

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

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 Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 186 diplomas to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University - Main Campus are $28,794, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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 for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 169 degrees to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on General Education at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 119 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548.

Read full report on General Education at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#4

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#14 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree education students with aid list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - Bloomington are $33,338.

Read more about General Education at Indiana University - Bloomington

#5

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#17 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Located in Platteville, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 32 degrees to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.

UW - Platteville also took the #17 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Platteville are $18,226.

Read more about General Education at UW - Platteville

#6

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stout landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UW - Stout is a medium-sized school located in Menomonie, Wisconsin that handed out 63 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree education students with aid list, UW - Stout has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Stout are $16,851.

Read full report on General Education at University of Wisconsin - Stout

#7

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

Purdue University Northwest did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Purdue University Northwest is a public institution located in Hammond, Indiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 41 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue Northwest, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University Northwest are $11,633, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Purdue Northwest General Education Report

#8

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - Stevens Point is a medium-sized school located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin that handed out 39 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Stevens Point also made our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #23. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point are $19,178, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Education at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

University of Michigan - Flint did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Flint, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree education students with aid list, UM Flint has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Flint are $18,202, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Education at UM Flint

#10

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Michigan State University is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 39 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan State University are $37,056, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Education at Michigan State University

University of Michigan - Dearborn landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Dearborn, Michigan, and it awarded 31 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UM Dearborn, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UM Dearborn are $25,072.

Read more about General Education at UM Dearborn

#12

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 degrees to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Saint Xavier University are $15,450.

Read more about General Education at SXU

#13

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Grand Valley State University is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 34 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

GVSU also took the #8 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at GVSU are $17,448, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Education at GVSU

#14

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 14 degrees to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Western Illinois University are $11,996, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Western Illinois University General Education Report

#15

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 16 degrees to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Northern Illinois University are $11,086, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Northern Illinois University General Education Report

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 216 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio State are $37,141, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Education at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#17

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 2 degrees to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Central Michigan University are $19,359, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Education at Central Michigan University

#18

Aquinas College Michigan

Grand Rapids, Michigan
#10 in overall quality

Aquinas College Michigan did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Aquinas College Michigan is a small school located in Grand Rapids, Michigan that handed out 20 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Aquinas College Michigan also made our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Aquinas College Michigan are $11,184.

Read more about General Education at Aquinas College Michigan

#19

Valparaiso University

Valparaiso, Indiana
#11 in overall quality

Valparaiso University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Valpo is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Valparaiso, Indiana. It awarded 6 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree education students with aid list, Valpo has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Valparaiso University are $12,220.

Read full report on General Education at Valpo

#20

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois

Quincy University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Quincy, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Quincy U are $12,000, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Quincy U General Education Report

#21

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Concordia University, Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in River Forest, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 5 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Concordia University, Chicago also took the #16 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Concordia University, Chicago are $9,378, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Concordia University, Chicago General Education Report

#22

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Elmhurst University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’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 10 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Elmhurst are $32,300, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Elmhurst General Education Report

#23

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. McKendree is located in Lebanon, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.

McKendree also made our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at McKendree University are $9,324.

Read more about General Education at McKendree

#24

Bluffton University

Bluffton, Ohio

With a ranking of #24, Bluffton University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Bluffton is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bluffton, Ohio. It awarded 9 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Bluffton University are $13,815, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Bluffton University General Education Report

#25

Calvin University

Grand Rapids, Michigan
#9 in overall quality

Calvin University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Calvin is a private not-for-profit institution located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Calvin also made our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #9. Average graduate tuition and fees at Calvin are $29,180, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on General Education at Calvin University

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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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