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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

76 Ranked Colleges
4,620 Degrees Awarded
$7,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 3rd of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 559,661 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, liberal arts / sciences and humanities 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 / sciences and humanities 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 / sciences and humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 76 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences and humanities. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs, but they also 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 / sciences and humanities program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities 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 / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities (Income $0-$30k) 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 Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities 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 / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $2,712 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at University of Chicago

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 76 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 68 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M also took the #3 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $3,166 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#3

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#6 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 Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 238 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $4,969 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#4

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 #4 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 47 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $12,498 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Notre Dame.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The 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 University of Notre Dame Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Northwest. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. IU Northwest is a small public school situated in Gary, Indiana. It awarded 55 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,287 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend IU Northwest.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at IU Northwest

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. IUPUI is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 264 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

IUPUI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $5,052 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full IUPUI Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - Green Bay is a medium-sized school located in Green Bay, Wisconsin that handed out 103 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Green Bay, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $11,337 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#8

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#14 in overall quality

Michigan State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan State is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $6,686 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Michigan State

#18 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 13 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $8,194 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Ohio State

#10

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana
#16 in overall quality

Ball State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Ball State is a large school located in Muncie, Indiana that handed out 249 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ball State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ball State University is $8,403 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Ball State University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#11

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Oakland University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oakland University is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 139 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

Oakland also took the #12 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $7,490 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Oakland University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#12

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

Indiana University - South Bend came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Indiana University - South Bend is a small public school situated in South Bend, Indiana. It awarded 84 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - South Bend is $4,641 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Indiana University - South Bend

#13

Indiana University - Kokomo

Kokomo, Indiana

Indiana University - Kokomo landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Kokomo, Indiana, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend IU Kokomo is $4,360 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Indiana University - Kokomo

#14

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#15 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Platteville ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is a medium-sized school located in Platteville, Wisconsin that handed out 3 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Platteville also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $12,117 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Platteville.

Full University of Wisconsin - Platteville Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#15

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Whitewater, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater also took the #22 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $11,868 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#16

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan

Ferris State University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ferris is a fairly large public school situated in Big Rapids, Michigan. It awarded 54 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,207 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ferris State University.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Ferris State University

#17

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

Purdue University Northwest did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Purdue Northwest is a medium-sized public school situated in Hammond, Indiana. It awarded 45 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Purdue University Northwest is $6,911 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Purdue University Northwest

#18

Indiana University - East

Richmond, Indiana

Indiana University - East came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Richmond, Indiana, and it awarded 62 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - East is $3,622 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at IU East

#19

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#10 in overall quality

Grand Valley State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school handed out 80 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

GVSU also took the #10 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,578 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend GVSU.

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%.

Full GVSU Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#17 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 37 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

UW Oshkosh also took the #17 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $11,687 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

#21

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin
#19 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large school located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that handed out 25 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $11,528 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at UW - Eau Claire

#22

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. This fairly large school is located in Evansville, Indiana, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern Indiana is $8,244 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at USI

#23

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and it awarded 85 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,129 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend PFW.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Purdue University Fort Wayne

#24

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Stevens Point is $11,446 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

#25

Indiana University - Southeast

New Albany, Indiana

Indiana University - Southeast came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Indiana University - Southeast is located in New Albany, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 96 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $6,697 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - Southeast.

Full Indiana University - Southeast Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities 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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