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

92 Ranked Colleges
3,179 Degrees Awarded
$7,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value History 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. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

History is the 30th most popular major in the country with 32,905 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, history graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,593 and had an average of $23,490 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 3,735 history graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,343 and $24,004 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,179 history graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 92 colleges that offer a degree in history. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality history 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 history program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank History Schools

The history school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for History (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 48 degrees to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $1,866 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Northwestern University History Report

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 72 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #1 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,712 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at University of Chicago

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 123 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

U-M also took the #4 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $3,166 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor History Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 130 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison also made our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $4,367 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#5

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

Out of the 92 schools in the Best Value History 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 Notre Dame landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 45 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame also took the #2 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,498 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Notre Dame.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The 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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Notre Dame History Report

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 87 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIUC has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about History at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

With a ranking of #7, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History 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 history degrees to 124 students in 2019-2020.

Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $8,194 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus History Report

#8

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan State is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State also took the #10 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $6,686 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Michigan State University

#9

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school handed out 33 degrees to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,483 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.

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 full report on History at Purdue University - Main Campus

#10

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 61 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $4,969 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, 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 students.

Read more about History at Indiana University - Bloomington

#11

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - La Crosse has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $7,939 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at UW - La Crosse

#12

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #12, University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is located in River Falls, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - River Falls, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - River Falls is $8,366 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on History at UW - River Falls

#13

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Whitewater, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s history degrees to 42 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater also took the #19 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Whitewater is $11,868 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on History at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

With a ranking of #14, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a fairly large school located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin that handed out 28 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Oshkosh also took the #18 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $11,687 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about History at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

#15

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $11,446 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about History at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

#16

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Ball State University is a large school located in Muncie, Indiana that handed out 41 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $8,403 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about History at Ball State University

#17

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large school located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that handed out 21 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire also took the #24 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,528 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.

Read more about History at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

#18

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a medium-sized school located in Green Bay, Wisconsin that handed out 34 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,337 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay.

Read more about History at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

#19

Indiana University - Kokomo

Kokomo, Indiana

Indiana University - Kokomo did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Indiana University - Kokomo is located in Kokomo, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Kokomo is $4,360 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Indiana University - Kokomo History Report

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s history degrees to 49 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $8,055 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville History Report

#21

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Platteville landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - Platteville is located in Platteville, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $12,117 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about History at UW - Platteville

#22

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 33 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $7,490 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on History at Oakland

#23

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Allendale, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s history degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $11,578 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Grand Valley State University History Report

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. IUPUI is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $5,052 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full IUPUI History Report

#25

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin

Beloit College landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Beloit, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s history degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Beloit College is $8,574 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read more about History at Beloit College

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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.

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