2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Great Lakes Region
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2019-2020, 559,661 liberal arts general studies students received their degree, making the major the 1st most popular in the country. 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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 305 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,039 and $42,488 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 12 colleges that offered a degree in liberal arts general studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent liberal arts general studies programs, but they also 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
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 Master’s in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 Master’s in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region.
Top 12 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, North Central College landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in Naperville, Illinois, and it awarded 30 masters’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Central, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at North Central College are $15,822, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at North Central
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend DePaul University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. DePaul University is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 19 masters’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePaul, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at DePaul University are $19,760, but some majors have different tuition rates.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Tiffin University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region. This small school is located in Tiffin, Ohio, and it awarded 35 masters’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
Tiffin University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Tiffin University are $13,000.
Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - South Bend landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in South Bend, Indiana, this small public school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified masters’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.
Indiana University - South Bend also took the #8 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - South Bend are $18,275, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full Indiana University - South Bend Liberal Arts General Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Union Institute & University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region. Union Institute & University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Union also took the #9 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Union Institute & University are $16,868, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Union Institute & University
University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. University of Illinois at Springfield is a public institution located in Springfield, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UIS also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Springfield are $16,757, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Illinois at Springfield
Indiana University - Northwest ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Gary, Indiana, and it awarded 3 masters’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
IU Northwest did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at IU Northwest are $18,275.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Indiana University - Northwest
University of Michigan - Dearborn ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Dearborn, Michigan, this medium-sized public school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified masters’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.
UM Dearborn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Dearborn are $25,072, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Michigan - Dearborn
Oakland University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and it awarded 2 masters’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
Oakland also took the #7 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Oakland are $24,648, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Oakland University
University of Southern Indiana did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #10. University of Southern Indiana is a fairly large public school situated in Evansville, Indiana. It awarded 2 masters’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
USI also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #11. Average graduate tuition and fees at USI are $20,039, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Southern Indiana
With a ranking of #11, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school awarded 2 degrees to qualified masters’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.
Ohio State also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio State University - Main Campus are $37,141.
With a ranking of #12, University of Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 147 masters’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
UChicago also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Chicago are $61,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
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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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