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2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

57 Ranked Colleges
3,756 Degrees Awarded
$8,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

History is the 30th most popular major in the country with 32,731 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, history graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $30,467 and had an average of $23,587 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 3,756 history graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,228 and $24,399 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 57 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in history. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great history 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 history program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region history students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

1
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 57 schools in the Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 103 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $2,500 for great lakes region history students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. 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.

Read more about History at UChicago

2
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 57 schools in the Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #2 spot on the list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s history degrees to 82 students in 2020-2021.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $245 for Great Lakes Region History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Northwestern History Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 160 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M also made our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $2,670 for Great Lakes Region History 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full U-M History Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 154 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $3,981 for Great Lakes Region History students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 History at UW - Madison

5

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 #5 for the Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 117 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $4,858 for great lakes region history students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 UIUC

6
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Notre Dame is located in Notre Dame, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 48 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Notre Dame is $9,872 for Great Lakes Region History students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full University of Notre Dame History Report

7

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 83 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $5,752 for great lakes region history students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about History at Indiana University - Bloomington

8

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 155 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $7,068 for Great Lakes Region History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about History at Ohio State University - Main Campus

9
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school handed out 47 degrees to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,995 for Great Lakes Region History students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about History at Purdue University - Main Campus

10
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value History Schools 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 ’s history degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.

Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $6,927 for Great Lakes Region History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Michigan State University

11
Oberlin crest
Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio

Oberlin College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oberlin College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Oberlin, Ohio. It awarded 34 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Oberlin also made our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Oberlin is $8,756 for great lakes region history students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at Oberlin

12

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 41 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $7,026 for great lakes region history students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.

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

13
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oakland University is a fairly large public school situated in Rochester Hills, Michigan. It awarded 51 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Oakland also took the #24 spot in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $8,949 for great lakes region history students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad 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%.

Full Oakland University History Report

14
Kenyon crest
Kenyon College
Gambier, Ohio

Kenyon College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Kenyon is a small school located in Gambier, Ohio that handed out 14 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Kenyon did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Kenyon College is $14,958 for great lakes region history students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 Kenyon History Report

15

With a ranking of #15, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 21 degrees to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,517 for Great Lakes Region History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - La Crosse.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Wisconsin - La Crosse History Report

16
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ball State is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 53 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Ball State is $8,273 for Great Lakes Region History students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Ball State

17

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 30 degrees to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $8,047 for Great Lakes Region History students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about History at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

18

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. UIC is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 47 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $10,549 for Great Lakes Region History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIC.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 History at UIC

19

With a ranking of #19, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois State University is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 107 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,783 for Great Lakes Region History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois State.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on History at Illinois State University

20

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. This fairly large school is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and it awarded 41 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region history students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Eau Claire has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $9,547 for Great Lakes Region History students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UW - Eau Claire History Report

21
Wabash crest
Wabash College
Crawfordsville, Indiana

With a ranking of #21, Wabash College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wabash is a private not-for-profit institution located in Crawfordsville, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Wabash also made our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for Wabash College is $16,637 for Great Lakes Region History students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Wabash College History Report

22

University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. This small school is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and it awarded 17 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside is $6,741 for Great Lakes Region History students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at University of Wisconsin - Parkside

23
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Central Michigan University is a fairly large school located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan that handed out 39 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Central Michigan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan University is $10,805 for great lakes region history students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Central Michigan

24
Ashland crest
Ashland University
Ashland, Ohio

With a ranking of #24, Ashland University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ashland University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Ashland, Ohio. It awarded 75 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region history students whose families make $0-$30k list, Ashland has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ashland University is $19,728 for Great Lakes Region History students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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 Ashland History Report

25

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Cincinnati, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 53 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC is $15,061 for great lakes region history students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at UC

Notes and References

References

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