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2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

21 Ranked Colleges
989 Degrees Awarded
$15,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

General Studies is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 5th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 133,583 degrees were awarded to students with this major.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 14,268 general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 989 general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 21 colleges that offer a degree in general studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general studies programs and 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 general studies program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank General Studies Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” 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.

Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 21 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1 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 #1 for the Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 67 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $5,887 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 more about General Studies at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#2

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan
#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ferris State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This fairly large school is located in Big Rapids, Michigan, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Ferris not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ferris is $10,521 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Studies at Ferris State University

#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Dearborn. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This medium-sized school is located in Dearborn, Michigan, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, UM Dearborn has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Dearborn is $8,057 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UM Dearborn General Studies Report

#4

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio
#14 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Youngstown State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Youngstown, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 115 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general studies students in 2019-2020.

Youngstown State University also made our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $9,784 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on General Studies at Youngstown State University

#5

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 100 bachelors’s general studies degrees to qualified students.

Illinois State also made our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $14,999 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Illinois State.

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%.

Read more about General Studies at Illinois State

#6

Shawnee State University

Portsmouth, Ohio
#18 in overall quality

Shawnee State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Shawnee State University is a small public school situated in Portsmouth, Ohio. It awarded 5 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, Shawnee State University has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,254 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Shawnee State University.

Full Shawnee State University General Studies Report

#7

Baker College

Owosso, Michigan
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Baker College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Baker College is a medium-sized school located in Owosso, Michigan that handed out 39 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Baker College also made our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for Baker College is $13,867 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about General Studies at Baker College

#8 in overall quality

Northeastern Illinois University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, Northeastern Illinois University has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,513 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Read full report on General Studies at Northeastern Illinois University

#5 in overall quality

Kent State University at Kent ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Kent State University at Kent is a large school located in Kent, Ohio that handed out 139 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Kent State, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Kent State is $15,374 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on General Studies at Kent State

#10

Indiana Wesleyan University

Marion, Indiana
#6 in overall quality

Indiana Wesleyan University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. IWU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Marion, Indiana. It awarded 16 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IWU, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Indiana Wesleyan University is $15,005 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full IWU General Studies Report

#11

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Chicago State University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CSU is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 15 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

CSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSU is $11,844 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive 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.

Full CSU General Studies Report

#12

Alverno College

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Alverno College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 11 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general studies students in 2019-2020.

Alverno also made our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Alverno College is $13,949 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Alverno General Studies Report

#13

University of Dayton

Dayton, Ohio
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, University of Dayton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Dayton, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general studies degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

UDayton also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UDayton is $23,351 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 more about General Studies at UDayton

#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Marion, Indiana, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 69 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general studies students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IWU, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $21,688 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend IWU.

Read more about General Studies at IWU

#15

Lincoln College

Lincoln, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

Lincoln College landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Lincoln, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general studies students in 2019-2020.

Lincoln College also took the #16 spot in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lincoln College is $21,395 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Lincoln College General Studies Report

#16

Spring Arbor University

Spring Arbor, Michigan
#12 in overall quality

Spring Arbor University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Spring Arbor is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Spring Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 10 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Spring Arbor also made our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $16,448 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Spring Arbor University.

Full Spring Arbor General Studies Report

#17

Siena Heights University

Adrian, Michigan
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Siena Heights University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Adrian, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general studies degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

Siena Heights University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Siena Heights University is $16,673 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Siena Heights University General Studies Report

#18

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

DePaul University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general studies degrees to 141 students in 2019-2020.

DePaul not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul University is $25,842 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Studies at DePaul

#19

Cornerstone University

Grand Rapids, Michigan
#19 in overall quality

Cornerstone University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Cornerstone is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s general studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cornerstone, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cornerstone University is $17,478 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on General Studies at Cornerstone University

#20

Tiffin University

Tiffin, Ohio
#17 in overall quality

Tiffin University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Tiffin University is a small school located in Tiffin, Ohio that handed out 3 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Tiffin University also made our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $19,908 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Tiffin University.

Full Tiffin University General Studies Report

#21

Ohio Christian University

Circleville, Ohio
#21 in overall quality

Ohio Christian University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Circleville, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general studies degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, OCU has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for OCU is $22,353 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about General Studies at Ohio Christian University

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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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