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2023 Best Value Colleges for History (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

57 Ranked Colleges
3,756 Degrees Awarded
$9,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that 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 $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 57 colleges that offered a degree in history. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality history programs that also have a lower cost than 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 $30-$48k” 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. 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 $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for History (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

1
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 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. It costs about $4,777 for great lakes region history students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Chicago.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on History at University of Chicago

2
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 82 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $917 for Great Lakes Region History students whose families make $30-$48k 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

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 $30-$48k. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 160 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $5,670 for Great Lakes Region History students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 undergraduate students.

Read more about History at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

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 $30-$48k list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 154 students in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $4,788 for great lakes region history students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UW - Madison History Report

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 $30-$48k. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 117 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $8,036 for Great Lakes Region History students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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

6

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 83 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $7,061 for great lakes region history students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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%.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington History Report

7
Kenyon crest
Kenyon College
Gambier, Ohio

Kenyon College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Gambier, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s history degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.

Kenyon not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Kenyon College is $18,974 for great lakes region history students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 freshman retention rate of 89%, 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.

Read more about History at Kenyon College

8
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue 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 $30-$48k ranking. Purdue is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 47 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,853 for Great Lakes Region History students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full Purdue University - Main Campus History Report

9
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

With a ranking of #9, University of Notre Dame did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 48 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region history students whose families make $30-$48k list, Notre Dame has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Notre Dame is $9,136 for great lakes region history students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 University of Notre Dame

10

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 155 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $8,581 for great lakes region history students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus History Report

11
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 51 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region history students whose families make $30-$48k list, Oakland has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,839 for great lakes region history students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oakland University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Oakland University History Report

12

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. IUPUI is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 41 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend IUPUI is $8,216 for great lakes region history students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on History at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

13
Oberlin crest
Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio

With a ranking of #13, Oberlin College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Oberlin College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Oberlin, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 34 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oberlin, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oberlin College is $13,745 for great lakes region history students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergraduate 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 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 more about History at Oberlin College

14

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a fairly large school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 21 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $10,075 for Great Lakes Region History students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about History at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

15

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 47 degrees to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $11,351 for Great Lakes Region History students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIC.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at University of Illinois at Chicago

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 $30-$48k ranking. Ball State is a large school located in Muncie, Indiana that handed out 53 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $10,786 for Great Lakes Region History students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full Ball State History Report

17

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 30 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $8,825 for Great Lakes Region History students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on History at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

18

With a ranking of #18, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 41 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Eau Claire also made our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Eau Claire is $10,658 for great lakes region history students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about History at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

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 $30-$48k list. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 107 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region history students whose families make $30-$48k list, Illinois State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $14,982 for Great Lakes Region History students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Illinois State University History Report

20
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

With a ranking of #20, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Central Michigan is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 39 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region history students whose families make $30-$48k list, Central Michigan has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan University is $12,346 for great lakes region history students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Central Michigan University

21

With a ranking of #21, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and it awarded 24 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stevens Point is $9,052 for great lakes region history students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on History at UW - Stevens Point

22

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Whitewater, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 43 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $10,390 for Great Lakes Region History students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Whitewater.

Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater History Report

23

University of Wisconsin - Parkside ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, this small public school awarded 17 degrees to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Parkside is $8,022 for great lakes region history students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.

Read full report on History at University of Wisconsin - Parkside

24
PFW crest
Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Indiana

With a ranking of #24, Purdue University Fort Wayne did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. PFW is a medium-sized public school situated in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It awarded 15 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,427 for Great Lakes Region History students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Purdue University Fort Wayne.

Read more about History at Purdue University Fort Wayne

25

With a ranking of #25, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a public institution located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 33 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,445 for Great Lakes Region History students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Green Bay.

Read more about History at UW - Green Bay

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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