2023 Best Value Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
14
Ranked Colleges
2,082
Degrees Awarded
$10,000
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 16,243 people earned their degree in area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies, making the major the 30th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,881 and had an average of $22,102 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 2,082 area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,473 and $24,906 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 14 colleges that offered a degree in area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 14 Best Value Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 161 ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M also made our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $2,670 for great lakes region area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at U-M
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 481 ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison also made our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $3,981 for Great Lakes Region Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at UW - Madison
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 69 diplomas to qualified ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies students in 2020-2021.
UChicago also made our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,500 for Great Lakes Region Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 UChicago Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Report
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 #4 for the Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 55 ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees to qualified students.
UIUC also took the #4 spot in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $4,858 for Great Lakes Region Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at UIUC
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 86 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington also took the #7 spot in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $5,752 for Great Lakes Region Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full IU Bloomington Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Report
Oberlin College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Oberlin College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Oberlin, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 58 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Oberlin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Oberlin College is $8,756 for great lakes region area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. 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 Oberlin Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Report
Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.
Ohio State also took the #8 spot in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $7,068 for Great Lakes Region Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies 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%.
Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Report
Miami University - Oxford landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Oxford, Ohio, and it awarded 77 ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Miami University - Oxford has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Miami University - Oxford is $13,956 for great lakes region area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at Miami University - Oxford
University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 66 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UIC also made our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $10,549 for Great Lakes Region Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies 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 University of Illinois at Chicago Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Report
Grand Valley State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school handed out 16 degrees to qualified ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies students in 2020-2021.
GVSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $10,259 for Great Lakes Region Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Grand Valley State University.
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%.
Full GVSU Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Report
Eastern Michigan University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 15 degrees to qualified ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies students in 2020-2021.
Eastern Michigan also made our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Michigan University is $12,465 for great lakes region area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at Eastern Michigan
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 65 degrees to qualified ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies students in 2020-2021.
UWM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is $11,973 for Great Lakes Region Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Report
With a ranking of #13, Siena Heights University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Adrian, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.
Siena Heights University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Siena Heights University is $18,163 for Great Lakes Region Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at Siena Heights University
DePaul University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. DePaul University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 37 ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees in 2020-2021.
DePaul also took the #10 spot in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul University is $27,123 for great lakes region area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at DePaul University
Focus on a Specific Degree Level
Southeast
Best Value Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Rocky Mountains
Best Value Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Rocky Mountains Region
Middle Atlantic
Best Value Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Middle Atlantic Region
Southwest
Best Value Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region
New England
Best Value Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the New England Region
Plains States
Best Value Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
Far Western US
Best Value Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region
Great Lakes
Best Value Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
Switch to a Similar Major
Switch to a More Focused Major
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Focused Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Popular Online Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students with family income less than $30k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students with family income $48-$75k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Income Over $110k) in the Great Lakes Region
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students with family income exceeding $110k in the Great Lakes Region
Highest Paid Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Graduates in the Great Lakes Region
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Popular Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students getting aid in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students with family income $30-$48k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students with family income $75-$110k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
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
- *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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to G. Mützel.
college factual
