2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid
78
Ranked Colleges
6,916
Degrees Awarded
$16,400
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Economics is the 19th most popular major in the country with 49,055 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, economics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $48,736 and had an average of $22,046 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 6,916 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,027 and $23,639 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 78 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in economics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent 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 economics program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. 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 Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region economics students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Economics in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Out of the 78 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 563 students in 2020-2021.
UIUC also took the #6 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $14,321 for Great Lakes Region Economics students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read more about Economics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 864 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $17,234 for great lakes region economics students with aid.
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 Economics at UW - Madison
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 Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 728 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.
U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $14,878 for Great Lakes Region Economics students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Economics at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Purdue is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 196 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.
Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,377 for great lakes region economics students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Purdue University - Main Campus Economics Report
Out of the 78 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school handed out 140 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington also made our “Best Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $14,619 for great lakes region economics students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Economics at Indiana University - Bloomington
Michigan State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Michigan State is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 379 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $19,058 for Great Lakes Region Economics students with aid per year to attend Michigan State University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Economics at Michigan State University
University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 129 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,214 for Great Lakes Region Economics students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Illinois at Chicago Economics Report
Northwestern University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 402 students in 2020-2021.
Northwestern also made our “Best Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $23,279 for great lakes region economics students with aid.
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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate 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.
Read more about Economics at Northwestern University
Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ohio State is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 331 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,845 for great lakes region economics students with aid per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad 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 Ohio State Economics Report
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. IUPUI is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $12,416 for great lakes region economics students with aid.
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%.
Full Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Economics Report
University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. River Falls, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.
UW - River Falls also made our “Best Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $13,844 for Great Lakes Region Economics students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 Economics at UW - River Falls
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - Whitewater is a fairly large public school situated in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It awarded 17 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $14,417 for Great Lakes Region Economics students with aid.
Read full report on Economics at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
With a ranking of #13, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - La Crosse is a fairly large school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 25 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $14,654 for great lakes region economics students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Economics Report
With a ranking of #14, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a fairly large school located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin that handed out 46 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UW Oshkosh is $14,687 for Great Lakes Region Economics students with aid.
Read more about Economics at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Eau Claire, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 44 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $16,051 for Great Lakes Region Economics students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.
Full UW - Eau Claire Economics Report
With a ranking of #16, University of Notre Dame did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 260 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
Notre Dame did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $31,101 for Great Lakes Region Economics students with aid per year to attend Notre Dame.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 Economics at Notre Dame
Ball State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Muncie, Indiana, this large public school handed out 43 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Ball State University is $14,765 for Great Lakes Region Economics students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Economics at Ball State University
With a ranking of #18, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 58 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UWM is $17,486 for great lakes region economics students with aid.
Full UWM Economics Report
With a ranking of #19, University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - Parkside is a small public school situated in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It awarded 13 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside is $11,082 for great lakes region economics students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 full report on Economics at UW - Parkside
With a ranking of #20, University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UM Dearborn is a medium-sized public school situated in Dearborn, Michigan. It awarded 23 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UM Dearborn is $12,855 for Great Lakes Region Economics students with aid.
The low undergrad 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 more about Economics at UM Dearborn
With a ranking of #21, University of Southern Indiana did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Evansville, Indiana, and it awarded 17 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for USI is $13,481 for great lakes region economics students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.
Read more about Economics at University of Southern Indiana
With a ranking of #22, Western Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Western Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It awarded 32 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $20,371 for Great Lakes Region Economics students with aid per year to attend WMU.
Read full report on Economics at Western Michigan University
Wright State University - Main Campus ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Dayton, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 14 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Wright State University - Main Campus is $15,962 for Great Lakes Region Economics students with aid.
Full Wright State University - Main Campus Economics Report
Eastern Michigan University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Eastern Michigan is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 33 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Eastern Michigan is $15,127 for Great Lakes Region Economics students with aid.
Full Eastern Michigan University Economics Report
Miami University - Oxford did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. Miami University - Oxford is located in Oxford, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 155 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region economics students with aid list, Miami University - Oxford has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Miami University - Oxford is $24,756 for Great Lakes Region Economics students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Economics at Miami University - Oxford
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