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2023 Best Value Colleges for History in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

57 Ranked Colleges
3,756 Degrees Awarded
$16,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

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 Getting Aid” 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 Getting Aid” 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 the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for History in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

1

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 #1 for the Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. 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.

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 $14,321 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, 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 94%.

Full UIUC History Report

2

Out of the 57 schools in the Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 160 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,878 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid per year to attend U-M.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read more about History at U-M

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 154 ’s history degrees 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. It costs about $17,234 for great lakes region history students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 83 students in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $14,619 for great lakes region history students with aid per year to attend IU Bloomington.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full IU Bloomington History Report

5
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Out of the 57 schools in the Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 47 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region history students with aid list, Purdue has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,377 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Purdue History Report

6

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 41 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,416 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid per year to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis.

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 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

7

University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.

UIC also took the #21 spot in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,214 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UIC History Report

8
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Oakland University is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 51 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Oakland not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,449 for great lakes region history students with aid per year to attend Oakland University.

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 Oakland University

9

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - La Crosse is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $14,654 for great lakes region history students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 full report on History at UW - La Crosse

10

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. This fairly large school is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and it awarded 43 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,417 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid per year to attend UW - Whitewater.

Full UW - Whitewater History Report

11

Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 155 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region history students with aid list, Ohio State has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $16,845 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at Ohio State

12

With a ranking of #12, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 41 degrees to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Eau Claire, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $16,051 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid.

Read full report on History at UW - Eau Claire

13
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 82 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region history students with aid list, Northwestern has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $23,279 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid per year to attend Northwestern University.

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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at Northwestern

14

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Oshkosh, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UW Oshkosh is $14,687 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid.

Read more about History at UW Oshkosh

15
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. This large school is located in Muncie, Indiana, and it awarded 53 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,765 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid per year to attend Ball State.

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 University History Report

16

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid 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.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $13,092 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid.

Full UW - Green Bay History Report

17

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 24 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $13,346 for great lakes region history students with aid.

Read full report on History at UW - Stevens Point

18
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Michigan State is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 47 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $19,058 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid.

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 2.6% 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 Michigan State University History Report

19
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Central Michigan is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 39 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Central Michigan, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan University is $16,007 for great lakes region history students with aid.

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%.

Full Central Michigan History Report

20

University of Wisconsin - Parkside landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, this small public school handed out 17 degrees to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,082 for great lakes region history students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside.

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 full report on History at University of Wisconsin - Parkside

21
Ashland crest
Ashland University
Ashland, Ohio

With a ranking of #21, Ashland University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Ashland, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s history degrees to 75 students in 2020-2021.

Ashland not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ashland University is $20,974 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Ashland

22

With a ranking of #22, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school awarded 107 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $20,830 for great lakes region history students with aid per year to attend Illinois State University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois State University History Report

23

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC is a public institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 53 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC also took the #14 spot in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $22,415 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid per year to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Cincinnati - Main Campus History Report

24

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $14,462 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid.

Read more about History at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

25
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 Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 48 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Notre Dame also made our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $31,101 for great lakes region history students with aid per year to attend University of Notre Dame.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 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%.

Read full report on History at Notre Dame

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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