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

43 Ranked Colleges
2,136 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Liberal Studies 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.

In 2019-2020, 365,980 liberal arts students received their degree, making the major the 2nd most popular in the country.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 38,838 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,136 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 43 colleges that offer a degree in liberal arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great liberal arts programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the liberal arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Liberal Arts Schools

The liberal studies school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

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

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

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $7,934 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Chicago.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Chicago Liberal Arts Report

#2

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Notre Dame. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Notre Dame is located in Notre Dame, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 47 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Notre Dame, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts 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 liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 Notre Dame Liberal Arts Report

#3

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 238 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,060 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

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

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Indiana University - Bloomington

#5 in overall quality

Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value Liberal Studies 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 Wisconsin - Green Bay landed the #4 spot on the list. Green Bay, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 97 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Green Bay also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend UW - Green Bay is $14,584 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Liberal Arts at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

#5

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan
#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Oakland University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Oakland not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $10,387 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Oakland Liberal Arts Report

#6

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Eastern Illinois University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 123 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU also took the #14 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend EIU is $13,560 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Eastern Illinois University

#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Illinois at Springfield is a small public school situated in Springfield, Illinois. It awarded 15 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Springfield is $11,857 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Liberal Arts at UIS

#8

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#10 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Platteville came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Platteville, Wisconsin, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Platteville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Platteville is $15,152 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at UW - Platteville

#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Oshkosh not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW Oshkosh is $15,236 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full UW Oshkosh Liberal Arts Report

#10

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#6 in overall quality

Grand Valley State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Allendale, Michigan, and it awarded 80 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

GVSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,775 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Grand Valley State University.

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%.

Full Grand Valley State University Liberal Arts Report

#10

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 61 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, NIU has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NIU is $18,346 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full NIU Liberal Arts Report

#12

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin
#16 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UW - Whitewater is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

UW - Whitewater did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,941 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater.

Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Liberal Arts Report

#13

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana
#11 in overall quality

Ball State University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Ball State is a large school located in Muncie, Indiana that handed out 249 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Ball State also took the #11 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,185 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Ball State.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Ball State

#14

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Governors State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Governors State University is a public institution located in University Park, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 108 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

GSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for GSU is $11,872 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full GSU Liberal Arts Report

#15

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

Western Illinois University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WIU, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $15,912 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Western Illinois University

University of Michigan - Dearborn ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Dearborn, Michigan, this medium-sized public school handed out 14 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Dearborn is $10,553 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Liberal Arts Report

#17

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin
#13 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school situated in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It awarded 25 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW - Eau Claire has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,887 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.

Full UW - Eau Claire Liberal Arts Report

#18

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

Purdue University Northwest did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. Purdue Northwest is a medium-sized school located in Hammond, Indiana that handed out 45 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Purdue Northwest is $13,449 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Purdue University Northwest

#19

Indiana University - Southeast

New Albany, Indiana

Indiana University - Southeast did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. Indiana University - Southeast is a public institution located in New Albany, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,387 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Indiana University - Southeast.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Indiana University - Southeast

#20

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#22 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW - Stevens Point has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $14,165 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Liberal Arts at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

#21

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana
#23 in overall quality

University of Southern Indiana came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. USI is a fairly large school located in Evansville, Indiana that handed out 35 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

USI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern Indiana is $14,686 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 Liberal Arts at University of Southern Indiana

#22

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. Saint Xavier University is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 24 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Saint Xavier University is $14,907 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Liberal Arts at SXU

#23

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

University of St Francis landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Joliet, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of St Francis is $14,220 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Saint Francis Liberal Arts Report

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 54 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $14,985 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full SIUC Liberal Arts Report

#25

Miami University - Middletown

Middletown, Ohio

With a ranking of #25, Miami University - Middletown did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Miami University - Middletown is a public institution located in Middletown, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,181 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Miami University - Middletown.

Full Miami University - Middletown Liberal Arts 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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