2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Great Lakes Region
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.
Liberal Arts General Studies is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 1st of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 559,661 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, liberal arts general studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $26,786 and had an average of $16,538 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 65,409 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,947 and $17,710 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,620 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 76 colleges that offer a degree in liberal arts general studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great liberal arts general studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the liberal arts general studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Featured schools near , edit
More Ways to Rank Liberal Arts 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 Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 76 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a medium-sized public school situated in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It awarded 103 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Green Bay not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $14,395 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at UW - Green Bay
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Illinois University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. WIU is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 169 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
WIU also took the #13 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WIU is $16,210 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.
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 Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. This medium-sized school is located in Platteville, Wisconsin, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students list, UW - Platteville has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,718 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at UW - Platteville
Out of the 76 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts 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. This fairly large school is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
UW Oshkosh not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $15,463 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh
Out of the 76 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Illinois University landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 123 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students list, EIU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,607 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.
With a ranking of #6, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students list, UW - Whitewater has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $15,249 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. Northern Illinois University is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 61 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $18,259 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students per year to attend NIU.
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school situated in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It awarded 25 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students list, UW - Eau Claire has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,020 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students per year to attend UW - Eau Claire.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at UW - Eau Claire
Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. IWU is located in Marion, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 69 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $22,207 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students per year to attend Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global.
Baker College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Baker College is located in Owosso, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 39 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $15,049 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students per year to attend Baker College.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Baker College
Grand Valley State University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Grand Valley State University is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 80 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
GVSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $17,646 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts 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 #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts 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 arts degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Purdue Northwest is $11,250 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Purdue University Northwest
Ferris State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #13. Ferris State University is a fairly large school located in Big Rapids, Michigan that handed out 54 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,889 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students per year to attend Ferris State University.
Full Ferris State University Liberal Arts General Studies Report
With a ranking of #14, Youngstown State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Youngstown State University is a fairly large school located in Youngstown, Ohio that handed out 117 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,947 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students per year to attend Youngstown State University.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Youngstown State University
With a ranking of #15, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Stevens Point is a medium-sized school located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin that handed out 1 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stevens Point is $14,465 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.
Illinois State University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 144 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $20,895 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts 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 General Studies at Illinois State
Maranatha Baptist University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Maranatha Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Watertown, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Maranatha Baptist University is $18,736 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #18. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 54 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $16,945 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
University of Illinois at Springfield ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts 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 arts degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students per year to attend University of Illinois at Springfield.
With a ranking of #20, Governors State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region 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.
The yearly cost to attend GSU is $12,077 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.
With a ranking of #21, Kent State University at Kent did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Kent, Ohio, this large public school awarded 140 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.
Kent State also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $18,885 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students per year to attend Kent State.
Kent State University at Trumbull ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Kent State University at Trumbull is a small school located in Warren, Ohio that handed out 33 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Kent State University at Trumbull is $7,954 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.
Full Kent State University at Trumbull Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Union Institute & University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Union Institute & University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Union is $16,585 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.
The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 Liberal Arts General Studies at Union Institute & University
With a ranking of #24, Oakland University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Oakland is a fairly large public school situated in Rochester Hills, Michigan. It awarded 139 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students list, Oakland has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,802 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students per year to attend Oakland.
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Bowling Green, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 72 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $18,394 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students per year to attend BGSU.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
Focus on a Specific Degree Level
All Degree Levels
Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Bachelors
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Doctorate
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Narrow Results by Region
Southeast
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Southeast Region
Rocky Mountains
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Rocky Mountains Region
Middle Atlantic
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Middle Atlantic Region
Southwest
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Southwest Region
New England
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the New England Region
Plains States
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Plains States Region
Far Western US
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Far Western US Region
Great Lakes
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Liberal Arts General Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Liberal Arts General Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Online Liberal Arts General Studies Schools
Liberal Arts General Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
Liberal Arts General Studies students with family income less than $30k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region
Liberal Arts General Studies students with family income $48-$75k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies (Income Over $110k) in the Great Lakes Region
Liberal Arts General Studies students with family income exceeding $110k in the Great Lakes Region
Highest Paid Bachelor's Degree Liberal Arts General Studies Graduates in the Great Lakes Region
Liberal Arts General Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Liberal Arts General Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Liberal Arts General Studies students getting aid in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
Liberal Arts General Studies students with family income $30-$48k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region
Liberal Arts General Studies students with family income $75-$110k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Liberal Arts General Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
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.
Featured Liberal Arts Schools
Request Info
|
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |
College Factual provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© College Factual – All Rights Reserved.
