2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
152
Ranked Colleges
60,741
Degrees Awarded
$4,000
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
With 556,813 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, liberal arts / sciences and humanities is the 3rd most popular major in the United States. In 2019-2020, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $28,337 and had an average of $17,430 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 60,741 liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,415 and $19,554 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 152 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the liberal arts / sciences and humanities program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools
The liberal arts / sciences & humanities school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.
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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 157 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2020-2021.
UChicago also took the #1 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $2,500 for Great Lakes Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Chicago Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 67 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2020-2021.
U-M also took the #5 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $2,670 for Great Lakes Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full U-M Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 225 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $5,752 for Great Lakes Region 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 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 full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at IU Bloomington
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Oakland Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bloomfield Hills, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 811 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Oakland Community College is also in the top of our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $1,464 for Great Lakes Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oakland Community College.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Oakland Community College
Out of the 152 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, City Colleges of Chicago - Harold Washington College landed the #5 spot on the list. City Colleges of Chicago - Harold Washington College is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 1,599 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harold Washington College, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $2,045 for Great Lakes Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend City Colleges of Chicago - Harold Washington College.
Full Harold Washington College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 261 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k list, IUPUI has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend IUPUI is $7,026 for great lakes region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Full IUPUI Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
With a ranking of #7, Moraine Valley Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Palos Hills, Illinois, and it awarded 1,141 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $-210 for great lakes region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend MVCC. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Moraine Valley Community College
Elgin Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Elgin Community College is located in Elgin, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 931 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.
ECC excels when it comes to liberal arts / sciences and humanities quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $2,273 for great lakes region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Elgin Community College.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Elgin Community College
With a ranking of #9, Waubonsee Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Waubonsee is located in Sugar Grove, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 505 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.
Waubonsee also claimed a top spot on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $2,249 for Great Lakes Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Waubonsee.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Waubonsee Community College
College of Lake County came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Grayslake, Illinois, and it awarded 1,475 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at College of Lake County, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for College of Lake County is $3,802 for Great Lakes Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at College of Lake County
City Colleges of Chicago - Wilbur Wright College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 1,101 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Wilbur Wright College is $1,736 for Great Lakes Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Wilbur Wright College
With a ranking of #12, University of Notre Dame did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, and it awarded 36 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.
Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Notre Dame is $9,872 for Great Lakes Region 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 97%. The impressive undergraduate 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Notre Dame Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
Washtenaw Community College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Washtenaw Community College is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1,473 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $1,892 for Great Lakes Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Washtenaw Community College.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Washtenaw Community College
Lincoln Land Community College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. LLCC is a public institution located in Springfield, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 522 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for LLCC is $3,925 for Great Lakes Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at LLCC
Ivy Tech Community College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school awarded 6,224 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2020-2021.
Ivy Tech Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $6,213 for Great Lakes Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ivy Tech Community College.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Ivy Tech Community College
William Rainey Harper College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. William Rainey Harper College is a public institution located in Palatine, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1,873 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k list, Harper College has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,504 for great lakes region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Harper College.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at William Rainey Harper College
Indiana University - South Bend came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Indiana University - South Bend is a small school located in South Bend, Indiana that handed out 77 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, Indiana University - South Bend is in the top on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - South Bend is $5,504 for Great Lakes Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Indiana University - South Bend
Delta College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in University Center, Michigan, and it awarded 416 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $2,178 for Great Lakes Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Delta College.
Full Delta College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cincinnati State is a medium-sized school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 175 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,610 for great lakes region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cincinnati State Technical and Community College.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College
Lansing Community College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 504 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Lansing Community College is $4,929 for great lakes region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at LCC
Indiana University - Southeast landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Indiana University - Southeast is a public institution located in New Albany, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 107 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Indiana University - Southeast not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Southeast is $7,587 for Great Lakes Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Indiana University - Southeast
With a ranking of #22, Lewis and Clark Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lewis and Clark Community College is located in Godfrey, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 513 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Lewis and Clark Community College is $4,423 for great lakes region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Lewis and Clark Community College
Joliet Junior College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Joliet, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 752 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $4,304 for Great Lakes Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Joliet Junior College.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Joliet Junior College
Henry Ford College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Henry Ford College is located in Dearborn, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 429 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Henry Ford College is $2,310 for Great Lakes Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Henry Ford College
Oakton Community College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oakton Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Des Plaines, Illinois. It awarded 818 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $5,638 for great lakes region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oakton Community College.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Oakton Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
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