2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2019-2020, 7,874 people earned their degree in international studies, making the major the 95th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, international studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,355 and had an average of $22,904 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 893 international studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,100 and $25,004 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 807 international studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 22 colleges that offered a degree in international studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality international studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the international studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region.
Top 22 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for International Studies in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - River Falls is located in River Falls, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s international studies degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students list, UW - River Falls has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - River Falls is $13,748 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Studies students.
The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Platteville, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s international studies degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.
UW - Platteville also made our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $15,718 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students per year to attend UW - Platteville.
Full University of Wisconsin - Platteville International Studies Report
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a public institution located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students list, UW - Stevens Point has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,465 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.
Read full report on International Studies at UW - Stevens Point
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grand Valley State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. GVSU is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 5 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2019-2020.
GVSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $17,646 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students per year to attend Grand Valley State University.
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 Grand Valley State University International Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Michigan University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. WMU is a fairly large public school situated in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It awarded 21 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2019-2020.
WMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $19,433 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Studies students per year to attend Western Michigan University.
Full Western Michigan University International Studies Report
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UWM is a public institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 55 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UWM also made our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is $17,876 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Studies students.
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. BGSU is a public institution located in Bowling Green, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at BGSU, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is $18,394 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Studies students.
Read full report on International Studies at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #8, Wright State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Dayton, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s international studies students in 2019-2020.
Wright State University - Main Campus did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Wright State University - Main Campus is $16,823 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students.
Read more about International Studies at Wright State University - Main Campus
Baldwin Wallace University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Berea, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s international studies students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Baldwin Wallace College, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Baldwin Wallace University is $22,917 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on International Studies at Baldwin Wallace University
With a ranking of #10, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 50 degrees to qualified bachelors’s international studies students in 2019-2020.
UIUC also made our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $15,880 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 International Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Illinois College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Jacksonville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s international studies degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.
Illinois College also made our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend Illinois College is $16,562 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students.
University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 82 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,708 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Studies students.
The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Miami University - Oxford landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Oxford, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s international studies degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students list, Miami University - Oxford has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Miami University - Oxford is $24,323 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on International Studies at Miami University - Oxford
With a ranking of #14, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school handed out 54 degrees to qualified bachelors’s international studies students in 2019-2020.
Michigan State also took the #11 spot in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $19,173 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read more about International Studies at Michigan State University
Hope College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Hope College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Holland, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Hope did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Hope is $26,562 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.
Capital University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #16. Capital is a private not-for-profit institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Capital also took the #19 spot in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $22,642 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students per year to attend Capital University.
The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.
University of Dayton landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Dayton is a fairly large school located in Dayton, Ohio that handed out 19 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students list, UDayton has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $31,003 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Studies students per year to attend University of Dayton.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Valparaiso University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Valparaiso University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Valparaiso, Indiana. It awarded 1 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Valpo also took the #18 spot in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Valparaiso University is $18,852 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about International Studies at Valparaiso University
Ohio Wesleyan University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Delaware, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s international studies degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at OWU, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $25,294 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Studies students per year to attend Ohio Wesleyan University.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 227 bachelors’s international studies degrees to qualified students.
U-M also made our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $15,336 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Studies students per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on International Studies at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Case Western Reserve University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s international studies degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.
Case Western did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $35,428 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students per year to attend Case Western.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Notre Dame came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 23 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Notre Dame is $33,025 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%.
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International Studies students with family income $75-$110k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for International Studies in the Great Lakes Region
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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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- Credit for the banner image above goes to Yerpo.
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