2023 Best Value Colleges for Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
169
Ranked Colleges
45,404
Degrees Awarded
$6,300
Avg Net Price*
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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
With 327,871 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, education is the 4th most popular major in the United States. In 2019-2020, education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $46,202 and had an average of $24,437 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 45,404 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $43,621 and $25,804 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 169 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality 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 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.
More Ways to Rank Education Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 169 schools in the Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 92 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $245 for Great Lakes Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read more about Education at Northwestern University
Out of the 169 schools in the Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 46 students in 2020-2021.
UChicago also made our “Best Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $2,500 for Great Lakes Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Chicago.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Education at UChicago
Out of the 169 schools in the Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 567 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $4,858 for Great Lakes Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read more about Education at UIUC
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 248 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $2,670 for great lakes region education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Education at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Out of the 169 schools in the Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #5 spot on the list. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 613 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $3,981 for Great Lakes Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Full UW - Madison Education Report
Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school awarded 608 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $5,752 for great lakes region education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Indiana University - Bloomington Education Report
Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 653 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Purdue also made our “Best Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $5,995 for great lakes region education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Purdue Education Report
Ball State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Ball State University is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2,554 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Ball State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ball State is $8,273 for Great Lakes Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.
Read full report on Education at Ball State
Michigan State University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan State University is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 767 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $6,927 for great lakes region education students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Education at Michigan State University
Sinclair Community College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Sinclair Community College is located in Dayton, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 87 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Sinclair Community College is $3,594 for Great Lakes Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Education at Sinclair Community College
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a fairly large public school situated in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It awarded 333 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - La Crosse excels when it comes to education quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - La Crosse is $7,517 for Great Lakes Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, 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 86%.
Read more about Education at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 674 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Ohio State also made our “Best Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $7,068 for great lakes region education students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Education at Ohio State
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 288 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend IUPUI is $7,026 for great lakes region education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Education at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis
University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 264 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
UW - River Falls excels when it comes to education quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $8,438 for great lakes region education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad 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%.
Full UW - River Falls Education Report
Indiana University - Northwest ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Gary, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 55 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for IU Northwest is $2,714 for Great Lakes Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Education at IU Northwest
Ivy Tech Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school handed out 1,035 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Ivy Tech Community College is $6,213 for great lakes region education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Education at Ivy Tech Community College
Oakland University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 428 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,949 for Great Lakes Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oakland.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Education at Oakland University
University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 385 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UIC also did well on our “Best Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $10,549 for Great Lakes Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UIC Education Report
With a ranking of #19, Milwaukee Area Technical College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Milwaukee Area Technical College is a public institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 94 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Milwaukee Area Technical College is $7,167 for great lakes region education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Education at MATC
With a ranking of #20, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Central Michigan is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 559 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Central Michigan has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $10,805 for Great Lakes Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Central Michigan University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.
Read more about Education at Central Michigan
With a ranking of #21, Indiana University - South Bend did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in South Bend, Indiana, this small public school awarded 111 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $5,504 for great lakes region education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - South Bend.
Read full report on Education at Indiana University - South Bend
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this medium-sized public school handed out 32 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Cincinnati State Technical and Community College is $3,610 for Great Lakes Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Education at Cincinnati State
With a ranking of #23, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 956 students in 2020-2021.
Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $13,783 for great lakes region education students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 full report on Education at Illinois State
Purdue University Northwest came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Hammond, Indiana, and it awarded 108 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $6,775 for Great Lakes Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue Northwest.
Read more about Education at Purdue University Northwest
Ferris State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Big Rapids, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 139 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $6,577 for Great Lakes Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ferris State University.
Read more about Education at Ferris State University
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