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

89 Ranked Colleges
3,836 Degrees Awarded
$14,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 31,150 people earned their degree in general economics, making the major the 22nd most popular in the United States.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 89 colleges that offer a degree in general economics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general economics programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general economics program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank General Economics Schools

The general economics 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 General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to 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 General Economics 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 General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid.

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

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 436 bachelors’s general economics degrees 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 $15,880 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Economics at UIUC

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 566 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also made our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $17,708 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid.

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%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison 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 #3 for the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general economics degrees to 586 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid list, U-M has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,336 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its 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%.

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

#4

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 Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #4 spot on the list. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 133 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $13,253 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid.

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 full report on General Economics at IU Bloomington

#14 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 Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #5 spot on the list. UW - La Crosse is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 45 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid 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. It costs about $14,580 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid per year to attend UW - La Crosse.

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%.

Full University of Wisconsin - La Crosse General Economics Report

#6

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#15 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - 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.

UW - River Falls not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - River Falls is $13,748 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Economics at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

#20 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 99 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

UIC also made our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,312 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid.

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%.

Read more about General Economics at University of Illinois at Chicago

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Oshkosh, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general economics degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $15,463 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid.

Full University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh General Economics Report

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a fairly large public school situated in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It awarded 25 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $15,249 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid.

Full UW - Whitewater General Economics Report

#10

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#10 in overall quality

Michigan State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Michigan State University is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 271 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid 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 is $19,173 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, 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 91%.

Read more about General Economics at Michigan State

#11

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

University of Illinois at Springfield came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Illinois at Springfield is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $12,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid per year to attend UIS.

Read full report on General Economics at University of Illinois at Springfield

#12

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a medium-sized public school situated in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It awarded 4 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,395 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid per year to attend UW - Green Bay.

Read more about General Economics at UW - Green Bay

#13

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large school located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that handed out 43 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,020 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid per year to attend UW - Eau Claire.

Full UW - Eau Claire General Economics Report

With a ranking of #14, 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 Getting Aid list. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis 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 $11,285 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid per year to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis.

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

University of Wisconsin - Parkside landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, this small public school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Parkside is $11,327 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid.

Full UW - Parkside General Economics Report

#16

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Northwestern University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $24,664 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 Northwestern

#17

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Ball State University is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 44 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Ball State University is $15,147 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid.

Full Ball State General Economics Report

#9 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus 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 Getting Aid 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 $17,616 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid.

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

#19

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Stevens Point is $14,465 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid.

Read full report on General Economics at UW - Stevens Point

University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. This medium-sized school is located in Dearborn, Michigan, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UM Dearborn is $11,473 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.

Full University of Michigan - Dearborn General Economics Report

#21

Indiana University - Southeast

New Albany, Indiana

Indiana University - Southeast ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Indiana University - Southeast is a public institution located in New Albany, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,657 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid per year to attend Indiana University - Southeast.

Read full report on General Economics at Indiana University - Southeast

#22

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 71 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,876 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid per year to attend UWM.

Read more about General Economics at UWM

#23

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Evansville, Indiana, this fairly large public school handed out 18 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Southern Indiana is $13,437 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Economics at University of Southern Indiana

#24

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. EIU is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,607 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.

Read full report on General Economics at Eastern Illinois University

#25

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. Purdue University Fort Wayne 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.

It costs about $10,912 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid per year to attend PFW.

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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