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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for History in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

92 Ranked Colleges
3,179 Degrees Awarded
$14,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 32,905 people earned their degree in history, making the major the 22nd 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 For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 92 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.

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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students with aid.

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

#5 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 Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #1 spot on the list. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 130 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students with aid list, UW - Madison has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,708 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students with aid.

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

Out of the 92 schools in the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 87 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on History at UIUC

#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 #3 for the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 123 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M also took the #4 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,336 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students with aid 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.

Read full report on History at U-M

#15 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. This fairly large school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students with aid 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 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $14,580 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students with aid.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on History at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

#18 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. This fairly large school is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and 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. It costs about $15,463 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid per year to attend UW Oshkosh.

Read full report on History at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

#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 Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a public institution located in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students with aid list, UW - Whitewater has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Whitewater is $15,249 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid.

Read full report on History at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

#7

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#13 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - River Falls, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - River Falls is $13,748 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

With a ranking of #8, 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 Getting Aid list. UIS is a small public school situated in Springfield, Illinois. It awarded 21 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UIS is $12,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid.

Read full report on History at UIS

#9

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s history degrees to 33 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,986 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on History at Purdue

University of Illinois at Chicago 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 Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,312 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students with aid.

The low 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 University of Illinois at Chicago History Report

#11

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a public institution located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

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

Read full report on History at UW - Green Bay

#12

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school handed out 61 degrees to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,253 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, 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 91%.

Full IU Bloomington History Report

#13

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin
#24 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UW - Eau Claire is a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire also took the #24 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,020 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid per year to attend UW - Eau Claire.

Read more about History at UW - Eau Claire

#14

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,465 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.

Read full report on History at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

#15

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ball State University is located in Muncie, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $15,147 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students with aid.

Read full report on History at Ball State University

#16

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UWM is a large school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 64 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is $17,876 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students with aid.

Read full report on History at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

#17

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#10 in overall quality

Michigan State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $19,173 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 full report on History at Michigan State University

#18

Indiana University - Kokomo

Kokomo, Indiana

Indiana University - Kokomo ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Indiana University - Kokomo is located in Kokomo, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Kokomo is $9,796 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid.

Full IU Kokomo History Report

#19

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

With a ranking of #19, Oakland University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 33 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

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

Read more about History at Oakland

#20

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s history degrees to 39 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $18,259 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students with aid.

Full Northern Illinois University History Report

#21

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Platteville landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wisconsin - 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 yearly cost to attend UW - Platteville is $15,718 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid.

Read full report on History at UW - Platteville

#22

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. EIU is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $14,607 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students with aid per year to attend EIU.

Read more about History at Eastern Illinois University

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. IUPUI is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend IUPUI is $11,285 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students with aid.

Full Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis History Report

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school awarded 124 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

Ohio State also took the #9 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,616 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree history students with aid per year to attend Ohio State.

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 low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Read more about History at Ohio State

#25

Indiana University - Southeast

New Albany, Indiana

With a ranking of #25, Indiana University - Southeast did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Indiana University - Southeast is located in New Albany, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Southeast is $10,657 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid.

Read full report on History at Indiana University - Southeast

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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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