Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Nursing (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

151 Ranked Colleges
30,198 Degrees Awarded
$7,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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 Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 313,362 nursing students received their degree, making the major the 3rd most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, nursing graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $67,065 and had an average of $26,282 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 55,907 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $64,221 and $26,091 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 30,198 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 151 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in nursing. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality nursing 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 nursing 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 Nursing Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. 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 Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Nursing (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 Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 143 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $3,166 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full U-M Nursing Report

Out of the 151 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #2 spot on the list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 230 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also made our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $4,367 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 UW - Madison Nursing Report

#3

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Out of the 151 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Purdue University - Main Campus is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 166 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

Purdue also took the #8 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,483 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Nursing at Purdue

#4

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University Northwest. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Hammond, Indiana, this medium-sized public school awarded 655 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue Northwest, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue Northwest is $6,911 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Nursing at Purdue Northwest

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Northwest. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indiana University - Northwest is a small public school situated in Gary, Indiana. It awarded 71 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,287 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - Northwest.

Read full report on Nursing at Indiana University - Northwest

With a ranking of #6, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 294 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $8,194 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Nursing at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#7

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 200 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, Michigan State is in the top on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $6,686 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about Nursing at Michigan State University

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school awarded 525 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend IUPUI is $5,052 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Nursing at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

#9

Franklin University

Columbus, Ohio

With a ranking of #9, Franklin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Franklin University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 64 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,328 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Franklin University.

Read more about Nursing at Franklin University

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 485 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,055 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SIUE.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Nursing Report

#11

Indiana University - Kokomo

Kokomo, Indiana

Indiana University - Kokomo ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. IU Kokomo is a public institution located in Kokomo, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 183 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,360 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend IU Kokomo.

Read full report on Nursing at IU Kokomo

#12

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan

Ferris State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ferris State University is a fairly large public school situated in Big Rapids, Michigan. It awarded 160 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,207 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ferris.

Read more about Nursing at Ferris

#13

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school situated in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It awarded 149 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $11,528 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.

Read full report on Nursing at UW - Eau Claire

#14

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 18 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,446 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.

Read more about Nursing at UW - Stevens Point

#15

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

Indiana University - South Bend ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indiana University - South Bend is a small school located in South Bend, Indiana that handed out 90 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,641 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - South Bend.

Read more about Nursing at Indiana University - South Bend

#16

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. UW - Green Bay is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 92 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Green Bay is $11,337 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UW - Green Bay Nursing Report

#17

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

With a ranking of #17, University of Southern Indiana did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Evansville, Indiana, and it awarded 202 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend USI is $8,244 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 Nursing at University of Southern Indiana

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a fairly large public school situated in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It awarded 293 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW Oshkosh is $11,687 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Nursing at UW Oshkosh

University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 237 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $10,648 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing at UIC

#20

Indiana University - East

Richmond, Indiana

With a ranking of #20, Indiana University - East did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Richmond, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 65 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - East is $3,622 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Nursing at IU East

#21

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ball State University is located in Muncie, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 142 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Ball State University is $8,403 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Nursing at Ball State

#22

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Oakland University is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 443 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $7,490 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oakland.

Read more about Nursing at Oakland

#23

Lake Superior State University

Sault Ste Marie, Michigan

Lake Superior State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lake Superior State University is a small school located in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan that handed out 46 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Lake Superior State University is $7,067 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Nursing at Lake Superior State University

University of Michigan - Flint came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UM Flint is a medium-sized school located in Flint, Michigan that handed out 262 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,955 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Michigan - Flint.

Read full report on Nursing at UM Flint

#25

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in University Park, Illinois, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Governors State University is $10,872 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Nursing at GSU

Switch to a Similar Major

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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

Footnotes

  • *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

Featured Nursing Schools

Find Schools Near You