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2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

151 Ranked Colleges
60,741 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” 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 2020-2021, 556,813 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 151 colleges that offer a degree 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 $48-$75k”.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

1
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

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 $48-$75k list. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 157 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $8,375 for great lakes region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

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

2

Out of the 151 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, City Colleges of Chicago - Harold Washington College landed the #2 spot on the list. Harold Washington College is a medium-sized public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 1,599 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

Harold Washington College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for City Colleges of Chicago - Harold Washington College is $4,829 for Great Lakes Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full City Colleges of Chicago - Harold Washington College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

3
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College of Lake County
Grayslake, Illinois

Out of the 151 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, College of Lake County landed the #3 spot on the list. Grayslake, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 1,475 students in 2020-2021.

College of Lake County also took the #19 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend College of Lake County is $6,557 for great lakes region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at College of Lake County

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 67 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees 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 yearly cost to attend U-M is $10,481 for Great Lakes Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at U-M

5
Joliet Junior College crest
Joliet Junior College
Joliet, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Joliet Junior College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Joliet, Illinois, and it awarded 752 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $6,645 for Great Lakes Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Joliet Junior College.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Joliet Junior College

6

City Colleges of Chicago - Wilbur Wright College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. City Colleges of Chicago - Wilbur Wright College is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,101 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,617 for great lakes region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Wilbur Wright College.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at City Colleges of Chicago - Wilbur Wright College

7
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Oakland Community College
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Oakland Community College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 811 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities 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 $6,291 for Great Lakes Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Oakland Community College.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Oakland Community College

8

Elgin Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. Elgin Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Elgin, Illinois. It awarded 931 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

ECC 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 $5,364 for Great Lakes Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend ECC.

Full Elgin Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

9
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Waubonsee Community College
Sugar Grove, Illinois

Waubonsee Community College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. 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 [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Waubonsee Community College is $7,028 for Great Lakes Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Waubonsee

10
Carl Sandburg College crest
Carl Sandburg College
Galesburg, Illinois

Carl Sandburg College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. Carl Sandburg College is a small public school situated in Galesburg, Illinois. It awarded 475 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Carl Sandburg College is $4,539 for Great Lakes Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Carl Sandburg College

11
LCC crest
Lansing Community College
Lansing, Michigan

Lansing Community College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Lansing, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 504 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Lansing Community College is $5,733 for great lakes region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Lansing Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

12

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 225 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $12,369 for great lakes region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full IU Bloomington Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

13

Moraine Valley Community College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Moraine Valley Community College is a fairly large public school situated in Palos Hills, Illinois. It awarded 1,141 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,844 for great lakes region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend MVCC.

Full Moraine Valley Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

14

Lorain County Community College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Elyria, Ohio, and it awarded 871 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Lorain County Community College is $3,765 for Great Lakes Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Lorain County Community College

15
MCC crest
McHenry County College
Crystal Lake, Illinois

With a ranking of #15, McHenry County College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. MCC is a public institution located in Crystal Lake, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 841 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, MCC is in the top 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. The estimated yearly cost for MCC is $8,936 for great lakes region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at MCC

16
Ivy Tech Community College crest
Ivy Tech Community College
Indianapolis, Indiana

With a ranking of #16, Ivy Tech Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Ivy Tech Community College is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 6,224 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ivy Tech Community College, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ivy Tech Community College is $9,405 for great lakes region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Ivy Tech Community College

17

With a ranking of #17, William Rainey Harper College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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.

Harper College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Harper College is $9,346 for great lakes region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at William Rainey Harper College

18
LLCC crest
Lincoln Land Community College
Springfield, Illinois

With a ranking of #18, Lincoln Land Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. LLCC is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 522 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Lincoln Land Community College is $7,985 for great lakes region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Lincoln Land Community College

19
Washtenaw Community College crest
Washtenaw Community College
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Washtenaw Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. This fairly large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 1,473 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Washtenaw Community College is $5,466 for Great Lakes Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Washtenaw Community College

20
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South Suburban College
South Holland, Illinois

South Suburban College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in South Holland, Illinois, this small public school awarded 305 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend SSC is $6,853 for Great Lakes Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at South Suburban College

21
Delta College crest
Delta College
University Center, Michigan

With a ranking of #21, Delta College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Delta College is a medium-sized public school situated in University Center, Michigan. It awarded 416 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Delta College is $6,141 for Great Lakes Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Delta College

22
Oakton Community College crest
Oakton Community College
Des Plaines, Illinois

Oakton Community College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k 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.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakton Community College is $7,533 for great lakes region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Oakton Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

23
Henry Ford College crest
Henry Ford College
Dearborn, Michigan

Henry Ford College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Henry Ford College is a fairly large public school situated in Dearborn, Michigan. It awarded 429 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Henry Ford College is $5,971 for great lakes region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Henry Ford College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

24
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 36 students in 2020-2021.

Notre Dame did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,020 for Great Lakes Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Notre Dame.

The undergrad 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 University of Notre Dame Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

25

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 261 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IUPUI, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,306 for great lakes region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

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