by our College Data Analytics Team
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
International Studies is the 100th most popular major in the country with 7,368 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, international studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,198 and had an average of $21,594 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 868 international studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,564 and $24,274 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 795 international studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,343 and $26,790 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 67 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in international studies. That schools that top this list have a program in international studies in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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 “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students.
Out of the 67 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Principia College landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in Elsah, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Kenyon College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region. Kenyon College is located in Gambier, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s international studies degrees to qualified students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Albion College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Albion, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s international studies students in 2020-2021.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Monmouth College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Monmouth is a small school located in Monmouth, Illinois that handed out 5 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Out of the 67 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Hanover College landed the #5 spot on the list. Hanover is located in Hanover, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s international studies degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Illinois Wesleyan University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Illinois Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bloomington, Illinois. It awarded 7 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Illinois Wesleyan University International Studies Report
Saint Mary’s College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s international studies degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Hope College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #8. Holland, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s international studies degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
University of Mount Union landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Mount Union is a small school located in Alliance, Ohio that handed out 8 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about International Studies at University of Mount Union
Heidelberg University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Tiffin, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s international studies students in 2020-2021.
Read more about International Studies at Heidelberg University
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 209 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s international studies students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor International Studies Report
Malone University ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Malone is a small school located in Canton, Ohio that handed out 5 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #13, North Central College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Naperville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s international studies students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.
Lawrence University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. Lawrence University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Appleton, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Mount Mary University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. Mount Mary is a private not-for-profit institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate 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 undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 International Studies at Mount Mary University
Ohio Wesleyan University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. OWU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Delaware, Ohio. It awarded 3 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate 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.
Read full report on International Studies at Ohio Wesleyan University
University of Notre Dame came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 32 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.
Illinois College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #18. This small school is located in Jacksonville, Illinois, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Cedarville University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #19. Cedarville is a small school located in Cedarville, Ohio that handed out 6 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Read more about International Studies at Cedarville University
University of Dayton landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Dayton is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dayton, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about International Studies at University of Dayton
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UWM is a public institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #22. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s international studies degrees to 95 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s international studies degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.
Read more about International Studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW Oshkosh is a fairly large school located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin that handed out 13 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Case Western Reserve University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #25. Case Western is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 18 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
