2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Studies 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 General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.
In 2019-2020, 133,583 general studies students received their degree, making the major the 5th most popular in the country.
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.
This year’s “Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 21 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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More Ways to Rank General Studies Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region.
Top 21 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Studies in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global is located in Marion, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 69 bachelors’s general studies degrees to qualified students.
IWU also made our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for IWU is $22,207 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students.
Read more about General Studies at Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Baker College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Owosso, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general studies degrees to 39 students in 2019-2020.
Baker College also took the #15 spot in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Baker College is $15,049 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ferris State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Ferris State University is located in Big Rapids, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 54 bachelors’s general studies degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students list, Ferris has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,889 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students per year to attend Ferris State University.
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 list. Youngstown State University is located in Youngstown, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 115 bachelors’s general studies degrees to qualified students.
Youngstown State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $11,947 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students.
Read more about General Studies at Youngstown State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Illinois State University is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 100 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $20,895 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students per year to attend Illinois State.
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 General Studies at Illinois State University
Kent State University at Kent landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Kent, Ohio, and it awarded 139 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students list, Kent State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Kent State is $18,885 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students.
Northeastern Illinois University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northeastern Illinois University, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,843 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.
Full Northeastern Illinois University General Studies Report
Lincoln College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #8. Lincoln College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lincoln, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees 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 $21,797 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students.
With a ranking of #9, Chicago State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Chicago State University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,733 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students per year to attend Chicago State University.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Indiana Wesleyan University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Marion, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general studies degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.
IWU also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend IWU is $20,946 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students.
Read more about General Studies at Indiana Wesleyan University
With a ranking of #11, Shawnee State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Portsmouth, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general studies degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.
Shawnee State University also took the #18 spot in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,320 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students per year to attend Shawnee State University.
Ohio Christian University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ohio Christian University is a small school located in Circleville, Ohio that handed out 20 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at OCU, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio Christian University is $24,500 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students.
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.
University of Michigan - Dearborn landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Dearborn, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general studies degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.
UM Dearborn also took the #9 spot in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Dearborn is $11,473 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students.
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 full report on General Studies at University of Michigan - Dearborn
Siena Heights University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. This small school is located in Adrian, Michigan, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Siena Heights University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $21,249 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students per year to attend Siena Heights University.
Alverno College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Alverno is a small school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 11 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Alverno also took the #13 spot in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Alverno College is $15,491 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Spring Arbor University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Spring Arbor University is located in Spring Arbor, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s general studies degrees to qualified students.
Spring Arbor also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Spring Arbor is $19,183 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students.
With a ranking of #17, Tiffin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Tiffin, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general studies students in 2019-2020.
Tiffin University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Tiffin University is $21,746 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students.
Cornerstone University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Cornerstone is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It awarded 4 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Cornerstone did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Cornerstone University is $20,740 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
DePaul University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #19. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul University is $30,090 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students.
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%.
University of Dayton ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Dayton is located in Dayton, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s general studies degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general studies students list, UDayton has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $31,003 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students per year to attend University of Dayton.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #21, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. 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 also made our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $15,336 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
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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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