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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for History (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

92 Ranked Colleges
3,179 Degrees Awarded
$27,704 Avg Salary
Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

History is the 22nd 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.

This year’s “Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 92 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in history. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality history programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

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 $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for History (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 92 schools in the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 48 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern also made our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $6,452 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 more about History at Northwestern University

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

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 $48-$75k list. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 72 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

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 University of Chicago is $7,934 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on History at University of Chicago

#3

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 92 schools in the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Notre Dame landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $48-$75k list, Notre Dame has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Notre Dame is $17,768 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read more about History at Notre Dame

#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 123 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $48-$75k list, U-M has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $10,028 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor History Report

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 130 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $13,227 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read more about History at UW - Madison

#6 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s history degrees to 87 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $48-$75k 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 UIUC is $13,351 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UIUC History Report

#7

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Purdue is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 33 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $9,654 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 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%.

Read full report on History at Purdue University - Main Campus

#9 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 124 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,982 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Ohio State History Report

With a ranking of #9, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,857 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Illinois at Springfield.

Full UIS History Report

#10

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin
#15 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse 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 $48-$75k ranking. UW - La Crosse is a fairly large school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 20 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - La Crosse, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $13,304 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#11

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,060 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington History Report

#12

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#13 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in River Falls, Wisconsin, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls also took the #13 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,474 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW - River Falls.

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 University of Wisconsin - River Falls

#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, 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 $48-$75k list. Located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 28 degrees to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW Oshkosh has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $15,236 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on History at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

#14

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Oakland is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Oakland is $10,387 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on History at Oakland University

#15

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin
#19 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a fairly large school located in Whitewater, Wisconsin that handed out 42 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW - Whitewater has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Whitewater is $14,941 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about History at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

#16

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin

Beloit College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. Beloit College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Beloit, Wisconsin. It awarded 14 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,769 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Beloit.

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 full report on History at Beloit College

University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s history degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,683 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at University of Illinois at Chicago

#18

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin
#24 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school situated in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It awarded 21 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $14,887 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire History Report

#19

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 25 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,165 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.

Full UW - Stevens Point History Report

#20

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Green Bay is $14,584 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about History at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

#21

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Platteville came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k 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 estimated yearly cost for UW - Platteville is $15,152 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about History at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 49 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $13,705 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville History Report

#23

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Eastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend EIU is $13,560 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on History at EIU

#24

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

With a ranking of #24, Grand Valley State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. GVSU is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $15,775 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full GVSU History Report

#25

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 39 degrees to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $18,346 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full NIU History Report

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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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