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2023 Best Value Colleges for Mathematics in the Great Lakes Region

42 Ranked Colleges
4,062 Degrees Awarded
$15,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Mathematics is the 35th most popular major in the country with 30,202 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, mathematics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $45,168 and had an average of $21,863 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 4,062 mathematics graduates with average earnings and debt of $46,747 and $22,659 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 42 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in mathematics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great mathematics programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the mathematics 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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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region math students.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Mathematics in the Great Lakes Region

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region. Illinois State is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 114 ’s math degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region math students list, Illinois State has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Mathematics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $20,830 for Great Lakes Region Math students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois State Mathematics Report

2
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Out of the 42 schools in the Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Central Michigan University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 21 diplomas to qualified ’s math students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region math students list, Central Michigan has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Mathematics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,007 for great lakes region math students per year to attend Central Michigan University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mathematics at Central Michigan

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. NIU is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 51 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

NIU also took the #19 spot in our “Best Mathematics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $13,956 for great lakes region math students.

Read more about Mathematics at Northern Illinois University

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a fairly large school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 23 ’s math degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - La Crosse also took the #22 spot in our “Best Mathematics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $14,654 for great lakes region math students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 full report on Mathematics at UW - La Crosse

5

Out of the 42 schools in the Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 53 ’s math degrees to qualified students.

UW - Eau Claire did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Mathematics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $16,051 for great lakes region math students.

Read full report on Mathematics at UW - Eau Claire

6

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 24 ’s math degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,462 for Great Lakes Region Math students.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Mathematics Report

7
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 116 ’s math degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Mathematics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $13,377 for Great Lakes Region Math students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Mathematics at Purdue

8

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW - Whitewater is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 41 ’s math degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $14,417 for great lakes region math students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater.

Read full report on Mathematics at UW - Whitewater

9
IU East crest
Indiana University - East
Richmond, Indiana

Indiana University - East came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Richmond, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s math degrees to 87 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU East, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Mathematics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IU East is $9,285 for great lakes region math students.

Full IU East Mathematics Report

10

Grand Valley State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school awarded 65 degrees to qualified ’s math students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region math students list, GVSU has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Mathematics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $17,356 for Great Lakes Region Math students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Grand Valley State University Mathematics Report

11

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. BGSU is a fairly large school located in Bowling Green, Ohio that handed out 46 ’s math degrees in 2020-2021.

BGSU also made our “Best Mathematics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $18,558 for Great Lakes Region Math students per year to attend BGSU.

Read full report on Mathematics at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus

12

Purdue University Northwest ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue Northwest is a medium-sized school located in Hammond, Indiana that handed out 17 ’s math degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue Northwest is $11,384 for Great Lakes Region Math students.

Full Purdue Northwest Mathematics Report

13

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW - Stevens Point is a medium-sized public school situated in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. It awarded 21 ’s math degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,346 for Great Lakes Region Math students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.

Read more about Mathematics at UW - Stevens Point

13

Western Illinois University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Western Illinois University is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $15,305 for great lakes region math students.

Read more about Mathematics at Western Illinois University

15
PFW crest
Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. Purdue University Fort Wayne is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s math degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $11,629 for great lakes region math students per year to attend PFW.

Read full report on Mathematics at PFW

16

Kent State University at Kent landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Kent, Ohio, and it awarded 30 ’s math degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $19,117 for great lakes region math students per year to attend Kent State.

Read full report on Mathematics at Kent State

17

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s math degrees to 36 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UWM, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Mathematics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,486 for Great Lakes Region Math students per year to attend UWM.

Read more about Mathematics at UWM

18

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 443 ’s math degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Mathematics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,234 for great lakes region math students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Mathematics at University of Wisconsin - Madison

19

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 34 ’s math degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region math students list, UC has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Mathematics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC is $22,415 for great lakes region math students.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mathematics at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

20

With a ranking of #20, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 214 ’s math degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Mathematics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $14,321 for Great Lakes Region Math students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 full report on Mathematics at UIUC

21

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Ohio State is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 249 ’s math degrees in 2020-2021.

Ohio State also made our “Best Mathematics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $16,845 for great lakes region math students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mathematics at Ohio State

22

Cleveland State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 29 ’s math degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cleveland State University is $16,943 for Great Lakes Region Math students.

Full Cleveland State University Mathematics Report

23
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Rochester Hills, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s math degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,449 for great lakes region math students per year to attend Oakland.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mathematics at Oakland University

24

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s math degrees to 57 students in 2020-2021.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Mathematics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,214 for great lakes region math students per year to attend UIC.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mathematics at UIC

25

Michigan Technological University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Math Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Houghton, Michigan, this medium-sized public school awarded 29 diplomas to qualified ’s math students in 2020-2021.

Michigan Tech also took the #9 spot in our “Best Mathematics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan Tech is $15,384 for great lakes region math students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mathematics at Michigan Tech

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References

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