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2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

89 Ranked Colleges
3,836 Degrees Awarded
$9,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

General Economics is the 22nd most popular major in the country with 31,150 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 4,035 general economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,836 general economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 89 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general economics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general economics programs and 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 general economics program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Economics (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 89 schools in the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern also made our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $3,995 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Northwestern University General Economics Report

#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 586 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $5,887 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Economics at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 566 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $6,860 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.

Read more about General Economics at UW - Madison

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 436 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $8,464 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign General Economics Report

#5

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#12 in overall quality

Out of the 89 schools in the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k 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 133 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $6,192 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Economics at IU Bloomington

#9 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State also took the #9 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $10,037 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Economics at Ohio State

#7

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#15 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a public institution located in River Falls, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - River Falls, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $10,124 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Economics at UW - River Falls

#14 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - La Crosse is a fairly large school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 45 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW - La Crosse has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - La Crosse is $9,795 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Economics at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UIS is a small school located in Springfield, Illinois that handed out 4 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UIS is $8,323 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UIS General Economics Report

With a ranking of #10, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. IUPUI is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,315 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend IUPUI.

Read full report on General Economics at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

#11

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin

Beloit College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Beloit College is a small school located in Beloit, Wisconsin that handed out 13 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Beloit College is $7,628 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Beloit General Economics Report

#12

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - Whitewater is a public institution located in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $12,156 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on General Economics at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a public institution located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,114 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW Oshkosh.

Full University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh General Economics Report

#14

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Eau Claire is $11,828 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Economics at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

#15

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general economics degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $11,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Economics at UW - Stevens Point

#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 99 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $11,185 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low 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%.

Full UIC General Economics Report

#17

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Green Bay is $11,641 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on General Economics at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general economics degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $9,938 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Economics at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#6 in overall quality

Case Western Reserve University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Case Western Reserve University is located in Cleveland, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 63 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Case Western has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $19,034 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Case Western Reserve University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Case Western Reserve University General Economics Report

#20

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#10 in overall quality

Michigan State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 271 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Michigan State has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $15,197 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Michigan State General Economics Report

With a ranking of #21, University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Wisconsin - Parkside is a small school located in Kenosha, Wisconsin that handed out 9 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Parkside is $9,018 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Parkside General Economics Report

#22

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Muncie, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general economics degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,487 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ball State.

Full Ball State General Economics Report

#23

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Oakland University is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $7,751 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oakland University.

Full Oakland General Economics Report

#24

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

With a ranking of #24, Grand Valley State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. GVSU is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Grand Valley State University is $12,459 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 General Economics Report

#25

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. PFW is a public institution located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University Fort Wayne is $7,686 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Economics at PFW

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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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to pixabay.

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