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2023 Best Value Colleges for English (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

77 Ranked Colleges
4,484 Degrees Awarded
$7,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 40,481 people earned their degree in English, making the major the 19th most popular in the United States.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 4,484 English graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 77 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in English. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great English programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the English program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank English Schools

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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 English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region english language students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for English (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

1
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UChicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 68 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region english language students whose families make $0-$30k list, UChicago has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best English Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $2,500 for Great Lakes Region English Language students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UChicago.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on English at UChicago

2
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 82 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best English Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $245 for Great Lakes Region English Language students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Northwestern English Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 144 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best English Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $2,670 for great lakes region english language 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 English at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

4

Out of the 77 schools in the Best Value English Language 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 #4 spot on the list. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 156 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best English Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $3,981 for Great Lakes Region English Language students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on English at UW - Madison

5

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 #5 for the Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 130 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best English Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $4,858 for great lakes region english language students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, 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 94%.

Read full report on English at UIUC

6
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 76 diplomas to qualified ’s English language students in 2020-2021.

Purdue also made our “Best English Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,995 for great lakes region english language students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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 93%.

Full Purdue English Report

7
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, and it awarded 60 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

Notre Dame also took the #1 spot in our “Best English Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Notre Dame is $9,872 for Great Lakes Region English Language students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on English at University of Notre Dame

8
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 76 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan State also took the #8 spot in our “Best English Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $6,927 for Great Lakes Region English Language 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full Michigan State English Report

9

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 85 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best English Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $5,752 for Great Lakes Region English Language students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Read more about English at Indiana University - Bloomington

10

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 182 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Ohio State also made our “Best English Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $7,068 for Great Lakes Region English Language students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 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 English at Ohio State

11
Oberlin crest
Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio

Oberlin College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oberlin College is located in Oberlin, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s English language degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oberlin, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best English Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oberlin College is $8,756 for Great Lakes Region English Language students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on English at Oberlin

12

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 49 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - La Crosse, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best English Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $7,517 for great lakes region english language students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - La Crosse.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on English at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

13

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 65 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $7,026 for great lakes region english language 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 more about English at IUPUI

14
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

With a ranking of #14, Oakland University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oakland University is a fairly large public school situated in Rochester Hills, Michigan. It awarded 51 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,949 for Great Lakes Region English Language students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oakland University.

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%.

Full Oakland University English Report

15

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Eau Claire, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s English language degrees to 88 students in 2020-2021.

UW - Eau Claire did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best English Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Eau Claire is $9,547 for Great Lakes Region English Language students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about English at UW - Eau Claire

16
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Ball State University is a large school located in Muncie, Indiana that handed out 78 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Ball State University is $8,273 for Great Lakes Region English Language 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 English at Ball State

17

University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 110 diplomas to qualified ’s English language students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best English Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $10,549 for great lakes region english language students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago English Report

18

University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is located in River Falls, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s English language degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $8,438 for great lakes region english language 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%.

Read more about English at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

19

Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Grand Valley State University is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 103 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

GVSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best English Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $10,259 for Great Lakes Region English Language students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend GVSU.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about English at Grand Valley State University

20
IU East crest
Indiana University - East
Richmond, Indiana

Indiana University - East landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Richmond, Indiana, and it awarded 34 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $5,516 for Great Lakes Region English Language students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - East.

Read more about English at IU East

21

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 51 diplomas to qualified ’s English language students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $8,047 for Great Lakes Region English Language students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about English at SIUE

22

Miami University - Oxford came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oxford, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s English language degrees to 59 students in 2020-2021.

Miami University - Oxford also made our “Best English Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Miami University - Oxford is $13,956 for Great Lakes Region English Language students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, 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 88%.

Full Miami University - Oxford English Report

23
PFW crest
Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Purdue University Fort Wayne is a public institution located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,414 for Great Lakes Region English Language students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue University Fort Wayne.

Read full report on English at PFW

24
Kenyon crest
Kenyon College
Gambier, Ohio

Kenyon College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Gambier, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s English language degrees to 53 students in 2020-2021.

Kenyon not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best English Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Kenyon is $14,958 for Great Lakes Region English Language students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Kenyon College English Report

25

With a ranking of #25, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value English Language Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 137 ’s English language degrees to qualified students.

Illinois State also took the #13 spot in our “Best English Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,783 for Great Lakes Region English Language students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois State University.

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 English at Illinois State

Notes and References

References

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