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2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region

80 Ranked Colleges
3,703 Degrees Awarded
$15,300 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master's in the Great Lakes Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 183,889 psychology students received their degree, making the major the 7th most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, psychology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,496 and had an average of $36,227 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 21,399 psychology graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,672 and $37,284 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 3,703 psychology graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,039 and $42,488 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 80 colleges that offered a degree in psychology. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great psychology 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 psychology program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The psychology 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 Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. 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 Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region

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

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Psychology in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#18 in overall quality

Out of the 80 schools in the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Illinois State is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 35 masters’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Psychology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Illinois State University are $11,069, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Illinois State University Psychology Report

#2

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wheaton College Illinois. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region. Wheaton College Illinois is located in Wheaton, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 43 masters’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

Wheaton College Illinois also took the #9 spot in our “Best Psychology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Wheaton College Illinois are $17,424.

Read more about Psychology at Wheaton College Illinois

#3

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Trinity Christian College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region. Palos Heights, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s psychology degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Trinity Christian College are $10,767, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Psychology at Trinity Christian

Out of the 80 schools in the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #4 spot on the list. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s psychology degrees to 29 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at SIUE are $9,300, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Psychology at SIUE

#5

Xavier University

Cincinnati, Ohio
#19 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Xavier University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 27 degrees to qualified masters’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree psychology students list, Xavier has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Psychology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Xavier are $12,076, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Xavier Psychology Report

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified masters’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Northern Illinois University are $11,086, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full NIU Psychology Report

#7

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

National Louis University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. NLU is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 176 masters’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

NLU also took the #20 spot in our “Best Psychology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at NLU are $12,096, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Psychology at National Louis University

#8

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Loyola University Chicago came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 83 masters’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Chicago, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Psychology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Loyola Chicago are $19,154.

Read more about Psychology at Loyola Chicago

#9

Valparaiso University

Valparaiso, Indiana

Valparaiso University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Valparaiso University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Valparaiso, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 23 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Valparaiso University are $12,220, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Valpo Psychology Report

#10

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stout ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Stout is a public institution located in Menomonie, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 43 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Stout are $16,851, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Wisconsin - Stout Psychology Report

#11

Marquette University

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
#7 in overall quality

Marquette University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Marquette University is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 masters’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

Marquette not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Psychology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Marquette are $21,690.

Read full report on Psychology at Marquette University

#12

John Carroll University

University Heights, Ohio
#24 in overall quality

John Carroll University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #12. University Heights, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s psychology degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at John Carroll, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Psychology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at John Carroll University are $15,957, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Psychology at John Carroll University

#13

Huntington University

Huntington, Indiana

Huntington University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Huntington, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s psychology degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Huntington University are $11,208, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Psychology at Huntington

#14

Purdue University Global

Indianapolis, Indiana

With a ranking of #14, Purdue University Global did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue University Global is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 27 masters’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University Global are $10,674, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Psychology at Purdue University Global

#15

Ashland University

Ashland, Ohio

Ashland University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Ashland, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 47 degrees to qualified masters’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Ashland University are $6,444, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Psychology at Ashland

#16

University of Detroit Mercy

Detroit, Michigan
#22 in overall quality

University of Detroit Mercy landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Detroit Mercy is located in Detroit, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 masters’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Detroit Mercy, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Psychology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Detroit Mercy are $20,047, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Detroit Mercy Psychology Report

#17

Alverno College

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #17, Alverno College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Alverno College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 45 masters’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Alverno College are $10,521, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Psychology at Alverno College

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Bowling Green, Ohio that handed out 12 masters’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at BGSU are $15,823.

Read full report on Psychology at BGSU

#19

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - La Crosse is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 masters’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse are $20,038, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UW - La Crosse Psychology Report

#6 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s psychology degrees to 58 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Psychology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Madison are $25,523, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Psychology at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#21

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

With a ranking of #21, Aurora University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Aurora, Illinois, and it awarded 11 masters’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Aurora are $13,200, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Aurora Psychology Report

#4 in overall quality

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Chicago ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s psychology degrees to 164 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree psychology students list, The Chicago School Chicago Campus has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Psychology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Chicago are $23,576, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Chicago

#23

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a medium-sized public school situated in River Falls, Wisconsin. It awarded 29 masters’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UW - River Falls are $18,233.

Full University of Wisconsin - River Falls Psychology Report

#24

University of Dayton

Dayton, Ohio
#23 in overall quality

University of Dayton landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UDayton is a fairly large school located in Dayton, Ohio that handed out 36 masters’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

UDayton also took the #23 spot in our “Best Psychology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Dayton are $17,780, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Psychology at University of Dayton

#25

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. WIU is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 12 masters’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at WIU are $11,996, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Psychology at WIU

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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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