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

21 Ranked Colleges
642 Degrees Awarded
$18,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 61,993 people earned their degree in legal professions, making the major the 17th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, legal professions graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $43,199 and had an average of $58,026 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 8,513 legal professions graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,584 and $54,966 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 642 legal professions graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 21 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in legal professions. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent legal professions 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 legal professions program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

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

#1

Purdue University Global

Indianapolis, Indiana
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University Global. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue University Global is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 128 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue University Global, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.

Read more about Legal Professions at Purdue University Global

#2

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grand Valley State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school awarded 33 degrees to qualified bachelors’s legal professions students in 2019-2020.

GVSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Grand Valley State University is $17,646 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Legal Professions at GVSU

#3

Baker College

Owosso, Michigan
#18 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Baker College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Owosso, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s legal professions degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

Baker College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,049 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students per year to attend Baker College.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Legal Professions at Baker College

#14 in overall quality

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #4 spot on the list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 10 bachelors’s legal professions degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students.

Read full report on Legal Professions at SIUC

#5

Davenport University

Grand Rapids, Michigan
#10 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Davenport University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Davenport University is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Davenport University, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Davenport University is $16,098 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students.

Read more about Legal Professions at Davenport University

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Kent State University at Kent did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Kent, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s legal professions degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

Kent State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Kent State is $18,885 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students.

Full Kent State University at Kent Legal Professions Report

#7

University of Toledo

Toledo, Ohio
#11 in overall quality

University of Toledo did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. University of Toledo is a fairly large school located in Toledo, Ohio that handed out 12 bachelors’s legal professions degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Toledo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $17,630 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students per year to attend University of Toledo.

Read more about Legal Professions at University of Toledo

#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UIS is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.

UIS did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $12,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students per year to attend University of Illinois at Springfield.

Full UIS Legal Professions Report

#5 in overall quality

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 14 bachelors’s legal professions degrees in 2019-2020.

UC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $21,843 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students per year to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Legal Professions Report

#10

Herzing University - Madison

Madison, Wisconsin
#19 in overall quality

Herzing University - Madison ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Herzing University - Madison is a small school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 4 bachelors’s legal professions degrees in 2019-2020.

Herzing University - Madison also took the #19 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $24,205 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students per year to attend Herzing University - Madison.

Read full report on Legal Professions at Herzing University - Madison

#11

Madonna University

Livonia, Michigan
#13 in overall quality

Madonna University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small school is located in Livonia, Michigan, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s legal professions degrees in 2019-2020.

Madonna also made our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Madonna is $17,574 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree legal professions students.

Read more about Legal Professions at Madonna University

#20 in overall quality

Herzing University - Akron did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #12. Herzing Akron is a private not-for-profit institution located in Akron, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree legal professions students list, Herzing Akron has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Herzing Akron is $22,416 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students.

Full Herzing Akron Legal Professions Report

#13

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana
#12 in overall quality

Ball State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Ball State is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Ball State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ball State is $15,147 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students.

Read full report on Legal Professions at Ball State University

#14

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan
#15 in overall quality

Oakland University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. Oakland is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.

Oakland also took the #15 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oakland is $11,802 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree legal professions students.

Read full report on Legal Professions at Oakland

#2 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 97 bachelors’s legal professions degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,708 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree legal professions students.

The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Legal Professions at UW - Madison

#16

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

Roosevelt University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s legal professions degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Roosevelt, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Roosevelt University is $22,749 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree legal professions students.

Read full report on Legal Professions at Roosevelt

#17 in overall quality

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.

IUPUI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $11,285 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree legal professions students.

Full IUPUI Legal Professions Report

#18

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#3 in overall quality

Michigan State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Michigan State is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 84 bachelors’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.

Michigan State also made our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $19,173 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree legal professions students per year to attend Michigan State University.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Legal Professions at Michigan State University

#19

Indiana Institute of Technology

Fort Wayne, Indiana
#21 in overall quality

Indiana Institute of Technology landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Indiana Institute of Technology is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree legal professions students list, Indiana Tech has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana Tech is $19,305 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree legal professions students.

Full Indiana Institute of Technology Legal Professions Report

#20

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, Loyola University Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s legal professions students in 2019-2020.

Loyola Chicago also made our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $35,407 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students per year to attend Loyola University Chicago.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.

Full Loyola Chicago Legal Professions Report

#21

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Northwestern University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Professions Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Legal Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $24,664 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Legal Professions students.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Northwestern University Legal Professions 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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to The wub.

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