2022 Best Value Liberal Studies 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. 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” 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.
This year’s “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 44 colleges that offered 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.
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 liberal arts program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 97 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.
UW - Green Bay also took the #5 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $14,395 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Western Illinois University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.
WIU also took the #9 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,210 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students per year to attend WIU.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Located in Platteville, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students 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. It costs about $15,718 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students per year to attend UW - Platteville.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at University of Wisconsin - Platteville
Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
UW Oshkosh did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW Oshkosh is $15,463 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eastern Illinois University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 123 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
EIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,607 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater 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 ranking. This fairly large school is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
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. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Whitewater is $15,249 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students.
Northern Illinois University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students.
With a ranking of #8, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large school located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that handed out 25 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Eau Claire also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $16,020 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students.
Grand Valley State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Grand Valley State University is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 80 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
GVSU also took the #6 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $17,646 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students.
The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.
Purdue University Northwest landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Hammond, Indiana, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Purdue University Northwest is $11,250 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students.
Youngstown State University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Youngstown, Ohio, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $11,947 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students.
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Stevens Point, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Stevens Point is $14,465 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students.
Illinois State University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Illinois State is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 44 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students list, Illinois State has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $20,895 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students.
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 full report on Liberal Arts at Illinois State University
With a ranking of #14, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $16,945 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students.
University of Illinois at Springfield ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UIS is a small school located in Springfield, Illinois that handed out 15 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students list, UIS has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIS is $12,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students.
Governors State University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. GSU 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 also took the #19 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Governors State University is $12,077 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at Governors State University
Union Institute & University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Union is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Union is $16,585 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Liberal Arts at Union Institute & University
Oakland University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #18. Oakland University is a fairly large public school situated in Rochester Hills, Michigan. It awarded 10 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Oakland also took the #8 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $11,802 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students.
With a ranking of #19, Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Bowling Green, Ohio that handed out 72 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at BGSU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for BGSU is $18,394 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students.
University of Southern Indiana landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Evansville, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.
USI also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern Indiana is $13,437 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students.
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%.
Northeastern Illinois University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 139 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students list, Northeastern Illinois University has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,843 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at Northeastern Illinois University
Lincoln College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #22. Lincoln College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lincoln, Illinois. It awarded 9 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Lincoln College is $21,797 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students.
Indiana University - Southeast landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. 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.
The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Southeast is $10,657 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students.
Read more about Liberal Arts at Indiana University - Southeast
With a ranking of #24, Chicago State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. CSU is a small public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 21 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,733 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students per year to attend CSU.
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.
Ball State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #25. Ball State is located in Muncie, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 249 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
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 $15,147 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students per year to attend Ball State 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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