2027 Best Value General Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[General Writing](/majors/english-language-literature/writing-studies/writing-general/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools to find the best return on investment for general writing students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value General Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general writing degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Writing Schools
For return on investment in general writing, no school beat Ferris State University this year. Located in the town of Big Rapids, Ferris State University is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $14,778. Students borrow a median of $21,500 to complete the general writing program here. General Writing graduates of Ferris State University earn a median of $23,508 early in their careers. Set against $21,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in general writing will find it at Oakland University, which ranked #2. Located in the suburb of Rochester Hills, Oakland University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $17,167 in tuition and fees, compared with $24,735 for out-of-state students. General Writing graduates carry a median of $25,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general writing degree recipients from Oakland University generally make around $54,785. That is a strong return on a $25,500 median debt. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Eastern Illinois University one of the best values for general writing. Set in the town of Charleston, Eastern Illinois University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $13,377 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $15,859. General Writing graduates carry a median of $24,293 in student loans. Early-career general writing graduates make about $43,603. Set against $24,293 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Eastern Illinois University admits about 65% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in general writing will find it at University Of Wisconsin Superior, which ranked #4. University Of Wisconsin Superior is a mid-sized public school located in the suburb of Superior. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,812, with out-of-state students paying around $16,726. Students borrow a median of $27,845 to complete the general writing program here. Soon after graduation, general writing degree recipients from University Of Wisconsin Superior generally make around $45,219. That is a strong return on a $27,845 median debt. University Of Wisconsin Superior admits about 93% of applicants.
A rank of #5 makes Grand Valley State University one of the best values for general writing. Grand Valley State University is a very large public school located in the town of Allendale. Students from in state pay about $15,502 in tuition and fees, compared with $21,894 for out-of-state students. General Writing graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Early-career general writing graduates make about $31,016. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
Western Michigan University came in at #6 for value in general writing this year. Located in the city of Kalamazoo, Western Michigan University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $15,987 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $19,952. General Writing graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general writing degree recipients from Western Michigan University generally make around $21,468. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Western Michigan University admits about 85% of applicants.
Central Michigan University ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best value general writing schools. Located in the town of Mount Pleasant, Central Michigan University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,480. General Writing graduates carry a median of $27,857 in student loans. General Writing graduates of Central Michigan University earn a median of $50,688 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
Ohio University Main Campus landed the #8 spot for general writing value this year. Located in the town of Athens, Ohio University Main Campus is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,158, with out-of-state students paying around $24,838. Typical student debt for general writing graduates is $26,500. Soon after graduation, general writing degree recipients from Ohio University Main Campus generally make around $23,399. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Ohio University Main Campus admits about 85% of applicants.
Bowling Green State University Main Campus placed #9 among the best values for general writing. Located in the town of Bowling Green, Bowling Green State University Main Campus is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,912, with out-of-state students paying around $21,900. General Writing graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. General Writing graduates of Bowling Green State University Main Campus earn a median of $38,632 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 81%.
Denison University ranked #10 on our 2027 list of the best value general writing schools. Located in the suburb of Granville, Denison University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $67,000. General Writing graduates carry a median of $25,360 in student loans. Early-career general writing graduates make about $39,797. That is a strong return on a $25,360 median debt. Denison University admits about 17% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 10 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
