2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
With 313,362 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, nursing is the 3rd most popular major in the United States. 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” ranking looked at 163 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in nursing. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great nursing programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the nursing program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree nursing students.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Nursing in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 163 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University Northwest landed the #1 spot on the list. Purdue Northwest is located in Hammond, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 655 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
Purdue Northwest not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $11,250 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree nursing students per year to attend Purdue Northwest.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Kettering College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Kettering College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Kettering, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 108 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Kettering College, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Kettering College is $18,853 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree nursing students.
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 student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Out of the 163 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #3 spot on the list. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 485 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $14,423 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree nursing students.
Out of the 163 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 149 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.
UW - Eau Claire also made our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $16,020 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree nursing students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a public institution located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 293 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $15,463 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students.
Read more about Nursing at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh
Chamberlain University - Illinois ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Chamberlain - Illinois is a private for-profit institution located in Addison, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7,888 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Chamberlain - Illinois also took the #2 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $25,598 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree nursing students per year to attend Chamberlain University - Illinois.
The low 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%.
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW - Green Bay is a medium-sized school located in Green Bay, Wisconsin that handed out 92 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $14,395 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree nursing students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay.
The Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Cincinnati, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 227 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $17,644 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students per year to attend The Christ College.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Nursing at The Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences
With a ranking of #9, Bellin College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Bellin College is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 123 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
Bellin College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $26,206 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students per year to attend Bellin College.
The student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #10. UW - Stevens Point is a public institution located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $14,465 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students per year to attend UW - Stevens Point.
Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Marion, Indiana. It awarded 398 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global is $22,207 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students.
Franklin University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Franklin University is a medium-sized school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 64 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,895 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students per year to attend Franklin University.
Mercy College of Ohio landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Mercy College of Ohio is a small school located in Toledo, Ohio that handed out 139 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $23,301 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students per year to attend Mercy College of Ohio.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Ferris State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Big Rapids, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 160 degrees to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Ferris is $12,889 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students.
Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. Northern Illinois University is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 159 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend NIU is $18,259 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree nursing students.
Western Illinois University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Western Illinois University is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend WIU is $16,210 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students.
Saint Anthony College of Nursing did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. SACN is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rockford, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 81 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SACN, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Mount Carmel College of Nursing landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Mount Carmel College of Nursing is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 346 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
Mount Carmel College of Nursing also claimed a top spot on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Mount Carmel College of Nursing is $17,650 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree nursing students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Purdue University Global landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 400 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #20, Chamberlain University - Ohio did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Chamberlain - Ohio is a small private for-profit school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 139 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree nursing students list, Chamberlain - Ohio has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $25,285 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students per year to attend Chamberlain University - Ohio.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #21, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Eastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend EIU is $14,607 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students.
Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Canton, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences is $17,161 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Grand Valley 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 ranking. This large school is located in Allendale, Michigan, and it awarded 198 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for GVSU is $17,646 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree nursing students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Lake Superior State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #24. Lake Superior State University is a public institution located in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Lake Superior State University is $12,398 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students.
Western Michigan University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. WMU is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 129 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Western Michigan University is $19,433 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students.
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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
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Aleksahgabrielle.
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