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2023 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts in the Great Lakes Region

103 Ranked Colleges
1,912 Degrees Awarded
$25,100 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.

With 366,996 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, liberal arts is the 2nd most popular major in the United States.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 37,033 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,912 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,343 and $26,790 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 103 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in liberal arts. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in liberal arts.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts in the Great Lakes Region

1
Antioch University McGregor crest
Antioch University - Midwest
Yellow Springs, Ohio

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Antioch University - Midwest. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Antioch University - Midwest

2
GSU crest
Governors State University
University Park, Illinois

Out of the 103 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Governors State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Governors State University is a small school located in University Park, Illinois that handed out 120 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Governors State University

3

Out of the 103 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Miami University - Hamilton landed the #3 spot on the list. This small school is located in Hamilton, Ohio, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Miami University - Hamilton Liberal Arts Report

4
Aquinas College Michigan crest
Aquinas College Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Aquinas College Michigan. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region. This small school is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Aquinas College Michigan

5
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

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 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region. Eastern Illinois University is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 100 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Eastern Illinois University

6

With a ranking of #6, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 95 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Northeastern Illinois University

7
CSU crest
Chicago State University
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #7, Chicago State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Chicago State University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full CSU Liberal Arts Report

8

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and it awarded 94 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Full UW - Green Bay Liberal Arts Report

9
Lincoln College crest
Lincoln College
Lincoln, Illinois

Lincoln College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. Lincoln College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lincoln, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Lincoln College Liberal Arts Report

10
Holy Cross College crest
Holy Cross College
Notre Dame, Indiana

Holy Cross College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Holy Cross College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 6 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Holy Cross College Liberal Arts Report

11
Finlandia crest
Finlandia University
Hancock, Michigan

With a ranking of #11, Finlandia University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Finlandia University is a small school located in Hancock, Michigan that handed out 2 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Finlandia

12

Miami University - Middletown landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Miami University - Middletown is located in Middletown, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.

Full Miami University - Middletown Liberal Arts Report

13
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Muncie, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 217 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Ball State

14
Xavier crest
Xavier University
Cincinnati, Ohio

With a ranking of #14, Xavier University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Xavier

15
Lake Forest crest
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small school is located in Lake Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 Lake Forest

16
Martin University crest
Martin University
Indianapolis, Indiana

Martin University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Martin University is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

Full Martin University Liberal Arts Report

17
Bethel University crest
Bethel University - Mishawaka
Mishawaka, Indiana

With a ranking of #17, Bethel University - Mishawaka did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Bethel University - Mishawaka is a private not-for-profit institution located in Mishawaka, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Bethel University - Mishawaka Liberal Arts Report

18

With a ranking of #18, Mount St. Joseph University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Mount St. Joseph University is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Mount St. Joseph University

19

With a ranking of #19, Purdue University Northwest did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue Northwest is a medium-sized school located in Hammond, Indiana that handed out 44 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Purdue Northwest Liberal Arts Report

20
Eureka College crest
Eureka College
Eureka, Illinois

Eureka College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Eureka College is located in Eureka, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Eureka College

21

Northern Illinois University ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 88 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Northern Illinois University

22
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

With a ranking of #22, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school awarded 225 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at IU Bloomington

23
SXU crest
Saint Xavier University
Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 17 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Liberal Arts at SXU

24

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #24. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 58 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

25
USI crest
University of Southern Indiana
Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. USI is a medium-sized public school situated in Evansville, Indiana. It awarded 40 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 USI Liberal Arts Report

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