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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Philosophy in the Great Lakes Region

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

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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” 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 25 colleges that offer a degree in philosophy. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality philosophy programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the philosophy program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Philosophy Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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.

Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region

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

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

#1

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#15 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 17 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students list, UW - Stevens Point has also earned the #15 rank 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.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

#2

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#12 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Grand Valley State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school awarded 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at GVSU, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,646 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy 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%.

Read full report on Philosophy at GVSU

#3

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also took the #11 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $20,895 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students.

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 more about Philosophy at Illinois State University

#16 in overall quality

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Kent State University at Kent landed the #4 spot on the list. Kent State is a large public school situated in Kent, Ohio. It awarded 7 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Kent State also made our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Kent State is $18,885 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students.

Full Kent State University at Kent Philosophy Report

#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. This large school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students list, UC has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $21,843 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read more about Philosophy at UC

#21 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. UWM is a large public school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 11 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

UWM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is $17,876 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students.

Read more about Philosophy at UWM

#7

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan
#22 in overall quality

Western Michigan University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

WMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for WMU is $19,433 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students.

Read more about Philosophy at Western Michigan University

#13 in overall quality

Franciscan University of Steubenville came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Franciscan U 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. It costs about $24,918 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students per year to attend Franciscan U.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Franciscan University of Steubenville Philosophy Report

#9

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan
#25 in overall quality

Eastern Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. Eastern Michigan University is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

Eastern Michigan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,924 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students per year to attend Eastern Michigan University.

Read full report on Philosophy at Eastern Michigan

#7 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school awarded 30 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $17,616 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 Ohio State

#5 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 54 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students list, UW - Madison has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,708 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Philosophy Report

#12

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan
#24 in overall quality

Central Michigan University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Mount Pleasant, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students list, Central Michigan has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan is $15,981 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students.

Read more about Philosophy at Central Michigan

#13

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Wheaton College Illinois landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small school is located in Wheaton, Illinois, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois also made our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $25,358 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Philosophy at Wheaton College Illinois

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 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.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,880 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students per year to attend UIUC.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full UIUC Philosophy Report

#15

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school awarded 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $13,253 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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 more about Philosophy at Indiana University - Bloomington

#16

Hanover College

Hanover, Indiana
#14 in overall quality

Hanover College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Hanover, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

Hanover also took the #14 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $20,952 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students per year to attend Hanover College.

The low 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%.

Full Hanover Philosophy Report

#17

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#23 in overall quality

Elmhurst University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Elmhurst is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elmhurst, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students 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 University is $21,485 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students.

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%.

Full Elmhurst Philosophy Report

#18

Marquette University

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Marquette University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Marquette also made our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Marquette is $29,756 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at Marquette University

#19

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

DePaul University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. DePaul University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students list, DePaul has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend DePaul University is $30,090 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students.

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

#20

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

Loyola University Chicago came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s philosophy 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.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Loyola University Chicago Philosophy Report

#21

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#3 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M also made our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $15,336 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full U-M Philosophy Report

#22

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Lake Forest College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Lake Forest College is located in Lake Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

Lake Forest also made our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $26,426 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students per year to attend Lake Forest.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Lake Forest College

#23

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#4 in overall quality

University of Notre Dame landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy 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 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 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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of Notre Dame

#24

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

University of Chicago ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 70 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $27,315 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Philosophy at UChicago

#25

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

Northwestern University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 21 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also made our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $24,664 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students per year to attend Northwestern.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full Northwestern Philosophy Report

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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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