2027 Best Value Applied Mathematics Schools in the Great Lakes Region

[Applied Mathematics](/majors/mathematics-and-statistics/applied-mathematics/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 15 schools to find the best return on investment for applied mathematics students.
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2027 Best Value Applied Mathematics Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in applied mathematics, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Applied Mathematics Schools
University Of Illinois At Chicago tops our 2027 list of the best value applied mathematics schools in the Great Lakes Region. University Of Illinois At Chicago is a very large public school located in the city of Chicago. Students from in state pay about $15,949 in tuition and fees, compared with $32,009 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,115 to complete the applied mathematics program here. Applied Mathematics graduates of University Of Illinois At Chicago earn a median of $61,829 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $20,115 median debt. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value applied mathematics schools. Located in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $18,267 in tuition and fees, compared with $40,096 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,778 to complete the applied mathematics program here. Applied Mathematics graduates of University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn a median of $57,461 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Students looking for strong value in applied mathematics will find it at University Of Illinois At Springfield, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Springfield, University Of Illinois At Springfield is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $12,557, with out-of-state students paying around $20,139. Applied Mathematics graduates carry a median of $24,925 in student loans. Soon after graduation, applied mathematics degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Springfield generally make around $53,344. Set against $24,925 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Illinois At Springfield admits about 86% of applicants.
University Of Chicago came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value applied mathematics schools. Set in the city of Chicago, University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $69,324. Typical student debt for applied mathematics graduates is $15,854. Applied Mathematics graduates of University Of Chicago earn a median of $81,002 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $15,854 median debt. University Of Chicago admits about 4% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Northern Illinois University earned it the #5 place for applied mathematics. Northern Illinois University is a large public school located in the suburb of Dekalb. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,060. Typical student debt for applied mathematics graduates is $25,209. Early-career applied mathematics graduates make about $52,308. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 70% of applicants are accepted.
Purdue University Main Campus came in at #6 for value in applied mathematics this year. Set in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue University Main Campus is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,992 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $28,794. Applied Mathematics graduates carry a median of $19,844 in student loans. Soon after graduation, applied mathematics degree recipients from Purdue University Main Campus generally make around $63,111. That is a strong return on a $19,844 median debt. The acceptance rate is 50%.
Indiana University Bloomington came in at #7 for value in applied mathematics this year. Indiana University Bloomington is a very large public school located in the city of Bloomington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,144, while out-of-state students pay about $41,891. Students borrow a median of $20,542 to complete the applied mathematics program here. Early-career applied mathematics graduates make about $52,123. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Ohio State University Main Campus earned the #8 position for value in applied mathematics this year. Set in the city of Columbus, Ohio State University Main Campus is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,244, with out-of-state students paying around $40,022. Typical student debt for applied mathematics graduates is $14,929. Applied Mathematics graduates of Ohio State University Main Campus earn a median of $78,456 early in their careers. Set against $14,929 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 61%.
University Of Wisconsin Stout placed #9 among the best values for applied mathematics. Set in the town of Menomonie, University Of Wisconsin Stout is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,701, compared with $19,265 for out-of-state students. Applied Mathematics graduates carry a median of $21,000 in student loans. Early-career applied mathematics graduates make about $67,159. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Kent State University At Kent earned the #10 position for value in applied mathematics this year. Set in the suburb of Kent, Kent State University At Kent is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,220, with out-of-state students paying around $21,575. Students borrow a median of $25,174 to complete the applied mathematics program here. Applied Mathematics graduates of Kent State University At Kent earn a median of $44,776 early in their careers. Set against $25,174 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Kent State University At Kent admits about 86% of applicants.
University Of Notre Dame earned the #11 position for value in applied mathematics this year. Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, University Of Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $65,025. Applied Mathematics graduates carry a median of $19,891 in student loans. Applied Mathematics graduates of University Of Notre Dame earn a median of $69,494 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $19,891 median debt. The acceptance rate is 11%.
University Of Cincinnati Main Campus came in at #12 for value in applied mathematics this year. University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Cincinnati. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,363, compared with $28,697 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for applied mathematics graduates is $23,530. Applied Mathematics graduates of University Of Cincinnati Main Campus earn a median of $69,396 early in their careers. Set against $23,530 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Cincinnati Main Campus admits about 85% of applicants.
Northwestern University landed the #13 spot for applied mathematics value this year. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $68,322 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for applied mathematics graduates is $16,616. Soon after graduation, applied mathematics degree recipients from Northwestern University generally make around $94,684. That is a strong return on a $16,616 median debt. Roughly 8% of applicants are accepted.
Depaul University came in at #14 for value in applied mathematics this year. Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Students from in state pay about $45,405 in tuition and fees. Applied Mathematics graduates carry a median of $25,340 in student loans. Soon after graduation, applied mathematics degree recipients from Depaul University generally make around $81,728. Set against $25,340 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 76%.
Case Western Reserve University landed the #15 spot for applied mathematics value this year. Case Western Reserve University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cleveland. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $66,608. Applied Mathematics graduates carry a median of $25,106 in student loans. Early-career applied mathematics graduates make about $74,459. Set against $25,106 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 36% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 15 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 15 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.