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

42 Ranked Colleges
1,681 Degrees Awarded
$9,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 12,529 people earned their degree in writing studies, making the major the 81st most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, writing studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $32,208 and had an average of $24,626 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,681 writing studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $26,622 and $25,225 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 42 colleges that offer a degree in writing studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality writing studies 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 writing studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 Writing 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.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

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

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Writing Studies (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 Writing 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 36 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $2,500 for Great Lakes Region Writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UChicago.

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. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Chicago Writing Studies Report

2
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s writing degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $245 for great lakes region writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 Writing Studies at Northwestern

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 Writing 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 49 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $2,670 for Great Lakes Region Writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend U-M.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Writing Studies Report

4
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Out of the 42 schools in the Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. Purdue is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 37 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,995 for Great Lakes Region Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Writing Studies at Purdue

5

Out of the 42 schools in the Best Value Writing 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 #5 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 49 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also took the #11 spot in our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $4,858 for Great Lakes Region Writing 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 Writing Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

6
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan State is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 35 ’s writing degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $6,927 for great lakes region writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Writing Studies at Michigan State University

7
Oberlin crest
Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio

With a ranking of #7, Oberlin College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Oberlin, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 24 diplomas to qualified ’s writing students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oberlin, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,756 for Great Lakes Region Writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oberlin.

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. 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%.

Read full report on Writing Studies at Oberlin

8
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. University of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Notre Dame also took the #3 spot in our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $9,872 for great lakes region writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Notre Dame.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Full Notre Dame Writing Studies Report

9
Ferris crest
Ferris State University
Big Rapids, Michigan

With a ranking of #9, Ferris State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ferris is a public institution located in Big Rapids, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region writing students whose families make $0-$30k list, Ferris has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $6,577 for great lakes region writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ferris State University.

Full Ferris Writing Studies Report

10

With a ranking of #10, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $5,752 for great lakes region writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read full report on Writing Studies at IU Bloomington

11

Miami University - Oxford did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Miami University - Oxford is a public institution located in Oxford, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 100 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Miami University - Oxford, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Miami University - Oxford is $13,956 for Great Lakes Region Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Writing Studies at Miami University - Oxford

12
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and it awarded 31 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

Oakland not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $8,949 for Great Lakes Region Writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oakland.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Writing Studies at Oakland

13
Beloit crest
Beloit College
Beloit, Wisconsin

Beloit College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Beloit is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Beloit, Wisconsin. It awarded 17 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

Beloit also made our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for Beloit College is $7,970 for great lakes region writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. The impressive undergraduate 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 Beloit College Writing Studies Report

14

Youngstown State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Youngstown, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 38 degrees to qualified ’s writing students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,175 for great lakes region writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Youngstown State University.

Full Youngstown State University Writing Studies Report

15

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Bowling Green, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 154 degrees to qualified ’s writing students in 2020-2021.

BGSU also made our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend BGSU is $14,079 for great lakes region writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Writing Studies at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus

16

University of Wisconsin - Stout did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. University of Wisconsin - Stout is a medium-sized school located in Menomonie, Wisconsin that handed out 24 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Stout also made our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $10,074 for Great Lakes Region Writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Stout.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Stout Writing Studies Report

17
DePauw crest
DePauw University
Greencastle, Indiana

With a ranking of #17, DePauw University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. DePauw is located in Greencastle, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 ’s writing degrees to qualified students.

DePauw also made our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend DePauw is $19,503 for great lakes region writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Writing Studies at DePauw University

18

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a large school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 100 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region writing students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC is $15,061 for Great Lakes Region Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Writing Studies at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

19

Grand Valley State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. GVSU is located in Allendale, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 37 ’s writing degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $10,259 for Great Lakes Region Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Writing Studies at Grand Valley State University

20
Saginaw Valley State University crest
Saginaw Valley State University
University Center, Michigan

Saginaw Valley State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Saginaw Valley State University is located in University Center, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 ’s writing degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Saginaw Valley State University is $10,424 for great lakes region writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full Saginaw Valley State University Writing Studies Report

21

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $11,665 for Great Lakes Region Writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Full SIUC Writing Studies Report

22
Northern Michigan University crest
Northern Michigan University
Marquette, Michigan

With a ranking of #22, Northern Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Marquette, Michigan, and it awarded 23 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,958 for great lakes region writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northern Michigan University.

Full Northern Michigan University Writing Studies Report

23
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Kalamazoo, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s writing degrees to 34 students in 2020-2021.

WMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,112 for Great Lakes Region Writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WMU.

Read more about Writing Studies at Western Michigan University

24
Marquette crest
Marquette University
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #24, Marquette University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified ’s writing students in 2020-2021.

Marquette also made our “Best Writing Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Marquette is $18,589 for Great Lakes Region Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Writing Studies at Marquette University

25
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Mount Pleasant, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s writing degrees to 24 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan University is $10,805 for Great Lakes Region Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Central Michigan Writing Studies Report

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