by our College Data Analytics Team
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 10,974 people earned their degree in anthropology, making the major the 75th most popular in the United States.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,164 anthropology graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 48 colleges that offered a degree in anthropology. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality anthropology programs that also have a lower cost than 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 anthropology program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region anthropology students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region. This fairly large school is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and it awarded 21 ’s anthropology degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UW Oshkosh is $14,687 for Great Lakes Region Anthropology students.
Read more about Anthropology at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region. Illinois State is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 24 ’s anthropology degrees in 2020-2021.
Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $20,830 for great lakes region anthropology students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. SIUC is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s anthropology degrees to qualified students.
SIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,285 for Great Lakes Region Anthropology students per year to attend SIUC.
Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Anthropology Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Illinois University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region. NIU is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend NIU is $13,956 for great lakes region anthropology students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Eastern Michigan University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Ypsilanti, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s anthropology degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Eastern Michigan is $15,127 for Great Lakes Region Anthropology students.
Western Michigan University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Kalamazoo, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s anthropology degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Western Michigan University is $20,371 for great lakes region anthropology students.
With a ranking of #7, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Central Michigan University is a fairly large school located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan that handed out 10 ’s anthropology degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan is $16,007 for great lakes region anthropology students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Anthropology at Central Michigan University
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 25 ’s anthropology degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is $17,486 for great lakes region anthropology students.
Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school handed out 37 diplomas to qualified ’s anthropology students in 2020-2021.
Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $13,377 for Great Lakes Region Anthropology students.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Western Illinois University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 10 ’s anthropology degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend WIU is $15,305 for great lakes region anthropology students.
Kent State University at Kent came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Kent, Ohio, and it awarded 32 ’s anthropology degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Kent State is $19,117 for great lakes region anthropology students.
Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school handed out 18 degrees to qualified ’s anthropology students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $17,356 for Great Lakes Region Anthropology students per year to attend GVSU.
The low undergrad 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%.
With a ranking of #13, Ball State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Ball State University is located in Muncie, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s anthropology degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region anthropology students list, Ball State has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ball State University is $14,765 for Great Lakes Region Anthropology students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s anthropology degrees to 48 students in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,234 for Great Lakes Region Anthropology students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Anthropology at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. Ohio University - Athens Campus is a public institution located in Athens, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus is $23,831 for great lakes region anthropology students.
Cleveland State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Cleveland State University is a public institution located in Cleveland, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Cleveland State University is $16,943 for Great Lakes Region Anthropology students.
Read full report on Anthropology at Cleveland State University
With a ranking of #17, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 29 ’s anthropology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region anthropology students list, UC has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $22,415 for great lakes region anthropology students.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 Anthropology at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
Youngstown State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Youngstown State University is a fairly large school located in Youngstown, Ohio that handed out 7 ’s anthropology degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $12,225 for Great Lakes Region Anthropology students.
Northern Michigan University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Northern Michigan University is a medium-sized school located in Marquette, Michigan that handed out 11 ’s anthropology degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Northern Michigan University is $15,214 for Great Lakes Region Anthropology students.
University of Southern Indiana did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. University of Southern Indiana is a medium-sized public school situated in Evansville, Indiana. It awarded 7 ’s anthropology degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $13,481 for Great Lakes Region Anthropology students per year to attend USI.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #21, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 39 degrees to qualified ’s anthropology students in 2020-2021.
UIC also took the #21 spot in our “Best Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,214 for great lakes region anthropology students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #22, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 71 ’s anthropology degrees to qualified students.
Ohio State also took the #7 spot in our “Best Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $16,845 for great lakes region anthropology students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 33 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $14,321 for great lakes region anthropology students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
University of Toledo ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Toledo is a fairly large school located in Toledo, Ohio that handed out 8 ’s anthropology degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $17,312 for Great Lakes Region Anthropology students per year to attend University of Toledo.
Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #25. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s anthropology degrees to 46 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,619 for great lakes region anthropology students per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
