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2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region

42 Ranked Colleges
1,058 Degrees Awarded
$18,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 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” 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students.

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

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

UW - Green Bay not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,395 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay.

Read full report on General Education at UW - Green Bay

#2

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Grand Valley State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Grand Valley State University is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 221 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at GVSU, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $17,646 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Education at GVSU

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is a large school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 153 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students list, UWM has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is $17,876 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students.

Full University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee General Education Report

Out of the 42 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Kent State University at Kent landed the #4 spot on the list. 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 $18,885 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students per year to attend Kent State.

Read full report on General Education at Kent State University at Kent

#5

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Out of the 42 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. Purdue is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 12 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,986 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Education at Purdue University - Main Campus

#6

Wilmington College

Wilmington, Ohio

Wilmington College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Wilmington, Ohio, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students list, Wilmington College has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wilmington College is $21,216 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students.

Read full report on General Education at Wilmington College

#7

Hiram College

Hiram, Ohio

Hiram College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Hiram is located in Hiram, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Hiram is $21,294 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students.

Read more about General Education at Hiram

#8

Baker College

Owosso, Michigan

Baker College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Baker College is a medium-sized school located in Owosso, Michigan that handed out 9 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,049 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students per year to attend Baker College.

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.

Read more about General Education at Baker College

#9

Alverno College

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
#19 in overall quality

Alverno College landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Alverno College is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

Alverno also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Alverno is $15,491 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about General Education at Alverno College

University of Michigan - Dearborn ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Dearborn, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,473 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students per year to attend University of Michigan - Dearborn.

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%.

Full UM Dearborn General Education Report

#11

Greenville University

Greenville, Illinois

Greenville University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #11. This small school is located in Greenville, Illinois, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Greenville is $20,689 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Greenville University General Education Report

#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region 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.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students list, UIUC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,880 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UIUC General Education Report

#13

Mount St. Joseph University

Cincinnati, Ohio
#24 in overall quality

Mount St. Joseph University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Mount St. Joe is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mount St. Joe, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $21,913 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students per year to attend Mount St. Joe.

Full Mount St. Joe General Education Report

#14

Siena Heights University

Adrian, Michigan

Siena Heights University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Adrian, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $21,249 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students per year to attend Siena Heights University.

Read more about General Education at Siena Heights University

#15

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Michigan State University is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 157 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State also took the #1 spot 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 education students per year to attend Michigan State University.

The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Michigan State General Education Report

#14 in overall quality

Ohio Northern University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. ONU is located in Ada, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students list, ONU has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $24,072 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students per year to attend Ohio Northern University.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.

Full Ohio Northern University General Education Report

#17

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

With a ranking of #17, McKendree University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Lebanon, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for McKendree University is $19,844 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students.

Full McKendree General Education Report

#18

Manchester University

North Manchester, Indiana

Manchester University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in North Manchester, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

Manchester University also took the #25 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Manchester University is $17,557 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students.

Read more about General Education at Manchester University

#19

Taylor University

Upland, Indiana
#17 in overall quality

Taylor University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Upland, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s education students 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 $25,888 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Read more about General Education at Taylor University

#20

Ohio Dominican University

Columbus, Ohio

Ohio Dominican University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Ohio Dominican University is $19,960 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students.

Read full report on General Education at Ohio Dominican University

#21

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This medium-sized school is located in River Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Chicago is $16,512 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students.

Full Concordia University, Chicago General Education Report

#22

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Illinois College is a small school located in Jacksonville, Illinois that handed out 2 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,562 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students per year to attend Illinois College.

Full Illinois College General Education Report

#23

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, Illinois

Trinity Christian College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Trinity Christian College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Palos Heights, Illinois. It awarded 3 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Trinity Christian is $21,904 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students.

The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%. 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.

Read more about General Education at Trinity Christian

University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,796 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students per year to attend University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne.

Full University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne General Education Report

#25

Marietta College

Marietta, Ohio
#23 in overall quality

Marietta College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Marietta, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Marietta, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Marietta is $20,786 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students.

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.

Read full report on General Education at Marietta College

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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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