2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,408 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,039 and $42,488 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 33 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region.
Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for General Education in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Aquinas College Michigan landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree education students list, Aquinas College Michigan has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Aquinas College Michigan are $11,184, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about General Education at Aquinas College Michigan
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Stout. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region. UW - Stout is a public institution located in Menomonie, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 63 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Stout did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Stout are $16,851, but some majors have different tuition rates.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Concordia University, Chicago. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized school located in River Forest, Illinois that handed out 5 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree education students list, Concordia University, Chicago has also earned the #16 rank 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.
Read more about General Education at Concordia University, Chicago
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Greenville University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Greenville University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Greenville, Illinois. It awarded 2 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Greenville also made our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20. Average graduate tuition and fees at Greenville University are $8,082, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Baldwin Wallace University landed the #5 spot on the list. Baldwin Wallace University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Berea, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree education students list, Baldwin Wallace College has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Baldwin Wallace College are $11,191, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about General Education at Baldwin Wallace College
The University of Findlay ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s 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 73 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Findlay did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Findlay are $17,407, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Grand Valley State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school handed out 34 diplomas to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.
GVSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Grand Valley State University are $17,448, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #8, Valparaiso University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Valparaiso, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 6 degrees to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.
Valpo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Valpo are $12,220.
McKendree University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. McKendree University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lebanon, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
McKendree did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at McKendree University are $9,324.
Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 186 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Purdue also took 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
Cedarville University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Cedarville, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cedarville, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cedarville are $9,065, but some majors have different tuition rates.
With a ranking of #12, Purdue University Northwest did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Hammond, Indiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 41 students 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 Northwest are $11,633, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 169 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #1 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 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083.
Western Illinois University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at WIU are $11,996.
University of Wisconsin - Platteville landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is a public institution located in Platteville, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 32 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Platteville, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Platteville are $18,226, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about General Education at University of Wisconsin - Platteville
Rockford University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Rockford, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree education students list, Rockford has also earned the #25 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 Rockford are $13,255.
With a ranking of #17, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. NIU is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 16 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at NIU are $11,086.
Read more about General Education at Northern Illinois University
Franciscan University of Steubenville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #18. Franciscan U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Steubenville, Ohio. It awarded 13 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Franciscan U are $12,888.
Full Franciscan University of Steubenville General Education Report
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and it awarded 39 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Stevens Point also took the #23 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 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point are $19,178.
University of Michigan - Flint landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UM Flint is a medium-sized school located in Flint, Michigan that handed out 16 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
UM Flint not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UM Flint are $18,202.
Edgewood College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Edgewood College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 58 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Edgewood, the school also landed the #18 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 Edgewood are $18,576.
Bluffton University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Bluffton is located in Bluffton, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Bluffton are $13,815.
With a ranking of #23, Quincy University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Quincy U is a small school located in Quincy, Illinois that handed out 20 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Quincy University are $12,000, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of Michigan - Dearborn ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Michigan - Dearborn is a public institution located in Dearborn, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 31 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UM Dearborn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Dearborn are $25,072.
With a ranking of #25, Saint Xavier University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. SXU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Saint Xavier University are $15,450, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
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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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