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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Philosophy in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

25 Ranked Colleges
1,097 Degrees Awarded
$21,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

Philosophy is the 82nd most popular major in the country with 9,456 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,283 philosophy graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,097 philosophy graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 25 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in philosophy. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent philosophy 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 philosophy program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Philosophy Schools

The philosophy 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 Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid”.

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 by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Philosophy in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also made our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,708 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Philosophy at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 36 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,336 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students with aid 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.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Philosophy Report

#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students with aid.

The school has an impressive 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 94%.

Read full report on Philosophy at UIUC

#4

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#15 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. UW - Stevens Point is a public institution located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Stevens Point also took the #15 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $14,465 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students with aid.

Read full report on Philosophy at UW - Stevens Point

#5

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#18 in overall quality

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #5 spot on the list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 12 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also took the #18 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $13,253 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.

Full IU Bloomington Philosophy Report

#7 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $17,616 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students with aid per year to attend Ohio State.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Ohio State Philosophy Report

#7

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#12 in overall quality

Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Allendale, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

GVSU also made our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $17,646 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students with aid.

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 Philosophy Report

#21 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UWM is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

UWM also made our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for UWM is $17,876 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students with aid.

Full UWM Philosophy Report

#9

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

Northwestern University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $24,664 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students with aid per year to attend Northwestern.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Philosophy at Northwestern University

#10

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Illinois State University is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $20,895 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 full report on Philosophy at Illinois State University

#16 in overall quality

Kent State University at Kent came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Kent State University at Kent is a large school located in Kent, Ohio that handed out 7 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Kent State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Kent State University at Kent is $18,885 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students with aid.

Full Kent State University at Kent Philosophy Report

#8 in overall quality

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Cincinnati, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

UC also made our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $21,843 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students with aid.

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 Philosophy at UC

#13

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#4 in overall quality

University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 30 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame also took the #4 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $33,025 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students with aid per year to attend Notre Dame.

The 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 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Philosophy at University of Notre Dame

#14

Hanover College

Hanover, Indiana
#14 in overall quality

Hanover College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Hanover is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hanover, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Hanover also made our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Hanover is $20,952 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Hanover Philosophy Report

#15

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan
#24 in overall quality

Central Michigan University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

Central Michigan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan University is $15,981 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students with aid.

Full Central Michigan Philosophy Report

#16

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan
#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Eastern Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Eastern Michigan University is a public institution located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students with aid list, Eastern Michigan has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,924 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students with aid per year to attend Eastern Michigan.

Read more about Philosophy at Eastern Michigan University

#17

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Wheaton College Illinois ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wheaton, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $25,358 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Philosophy at Wheaton College Illinois

#18

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan
#22 in overall quality

Western Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

WMU also took the #22 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Western Michigan University is $19,433 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students with aid.

Read more about Philosophy at WMU

#13 in overall quality

Franciscan University of Steubenville ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Franciscan University of Steubenville is a small school located in Steubenville, Ohio that handed out 24 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Franciscan U also made our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Franciscan U is $24,918 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, 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 86%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Franciscan University of Steubenville

#20

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

University of Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 70 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students with aid list, UChicago has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $27,315 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students with aid per year to attend UChicago.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, 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 100%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full University of Chicago Philosophy Report

#21

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Elmhurst is a small school located in Elmhurst, Illinois that handed out 3 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students with aid list, Elmhurst has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst is $21,485 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Elmhurst

#22

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Lake Forest College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Lake Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lake Forest, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $26,426 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students with aid per year to attend Lake Forest College.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 Philosophy at Lake Forest

#23

Marquette University

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
#10 in overall quality

Marquette University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Marquette also took the #10 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $29,756 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students with aid per year to attend Marquette University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Marquette Philosophy Report

#24

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

DePaul University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

DePaul did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul is $30,090 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at DePaul University

#25

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

Loyola University Chicago landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. 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 Loyola Chicago, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola University Chicago is $35,407 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Loyola Chicago

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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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