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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for History in the Great Lakes Region

92 Ranked Colleges
3,179 Degrees Awarded
$15,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 32,905 people earned their degree in history, making the major the 30th most popular in the United States. 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.

This year’s “Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 92 colleges that offered a degree in history. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent history programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the history program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank History Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” list to help you make the college decision.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for History in the Great Lakes Region

#1

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

Out of the 92 schools in the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #1 spot on the 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.

UW - River Falls not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - River Falls is $13,748 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 full report on History at UW - River Falls

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a fairly large public school situated in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It awarded 28 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Oshkosh, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW Oshkosh is $15,463 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students.

Read full report on History at UW Oshkosh

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a fairly large public school situated in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It awarded 20 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students 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 yearly cost to attend UW - La Crosse is $14,580 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

Out of the 92 schools in the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #4 spot on the list. UW - Whitewater is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 42 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

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 $15,249 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students.

Read full report on History at UW - Whitewater

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Eau Claire, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s history degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $16,020 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students.

Read full report on History at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 49 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $14,423 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students.

Read more about History at SIUE

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 34 degrees to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $14,395 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students.

Read more about History at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

#8

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Platteville ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Platteville is a medium-sized public school situated in Platteville, Wisconsin. It awarded 6 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Platteville is $15,718 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students.

Full UW - Platteville History Report

#9

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region 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 UW - Stevens Point is $14,465 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students.

Full UW - Stevens Point History Report

#10

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school handed out 97 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $20,895 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at Illinois State University

#11

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students.

Read more about History at NIU

#12

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s history degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,210 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students per year to attend WIU.

Read more about History at Western Illinois University

#12

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #12. GVSU is a large school located in Allendale, Michigan that handed out 36 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Grand Valley State University is $17,646 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Grand Valley State University

#14

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Charleston, Illinois. It awarded 20 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $14,607 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students.

Read full report on History at Eastern Illinois University

#15

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

University of Illinois at Springfield came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Illinois at Springfield is a small school located in Springfield, Illinois that handed out 21 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Springfield is $12,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students.

Full UIS History Report

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 21 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students.

Full SIUC History Report

#17

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is a large school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 64 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UWM is $17,876 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students.

Read more about History at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

#18

Ashland University

Ashland, Ohio
#21 in overall quality

Ashland University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ashland University is located in Ashland, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

Ashland also made our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend Ashland University is $20,111 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Ashland University

#19

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan

With a ranking of #19, Western Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Western Michigan University is a public institution located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Western Michigan University is $19,433 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students.

Full Western Michigan University History Report

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. UC is a large school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 26 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students list, UC has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $21,843 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students per year to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus.

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 UC History Report

#21

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Evansville, Indiana, this fairly large public school handed out 24 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Southern Indiana is $13,437 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at University of Southern Indiana

#22

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 ranking, coming in at #22. IU Kokomo is a public institution located in Kokomo, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Kokomo is $9,796 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students.

Read more about History at Indiana University - Kokomo

#23

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #23. This fairly large school is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan University is $15,924 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students.

Read more about History at Eastern Michigan

#24

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #24. Cleveland State University is a fairly large public school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 34 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,278 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students per year to attend Cleveland State University.

Read more about History at Cleveland State University

#25

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Rochester Hills, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s history degrees to 33 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $11,802 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students.

Read more about History at Oakland

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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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