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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Social Sciences in the Great Lakes Region

23 Ranked Colleges
315 Degrees Awarded
$18,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

General Social Sciences is the 39th most popular major in the country with 19,542 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 599 general social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 315 general social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 23 colleges that offered a degree in general social sciences. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general social sciences programs, but they also 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 social sciences program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The general social sciences 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 Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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.

Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general social sciences students.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Social Sciences in the Great Lakes Region

#1

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general social sciences students in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - River Falls is $13,748 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students.

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 full report on General Social Sciences at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

#2

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Stout. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. University of Wisconsin - Stout is a medium-sized school located in Menomonie, Wisconsin that handed out 15 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Stout also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stout is $15,839 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - Stout General Social Sciences Report

#3

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#8 in overall quality

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Platteville landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is a medium-sized public school situated in Platteville, Wisconsin. It awarded 8 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Platteville also took the #8 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $15,718 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students.

Read more about General Social Sciences at UW - Platteville

#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Whitewater is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees to qualified students.

UW - Whitewater not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,249 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general social sciences students per year to attend UW - Whitewater.

Full UW - Whitewater General Social Sciences Report

#5

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Grand Valley State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Grand Valley State University is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 49 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at GVSU, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,646 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general social sciences students per year to attend GVSU.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Social Sciences at Grand Valley State University

#6

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, Ohio
#18 in overall quality

Cleveland State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cleveland State University, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,278 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students per year to attend Cleveland State University.

Full Cleveland State University General Social Sciences Report

#7

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan
#11 in overall quality

Central Michigan University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Central Michigan is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Central Michigan also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan is $15,981 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general social sciences students.

Full Central Michigan University General Social Sciences Report

#8

Indiana University - Southeast

New Albany, Indiana
#19 in overall quality

Indiana University - Southeast came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Indiana University - Southeast is a public institution located in New Albany, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Indiana University - Southeast also took the #19 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Southeast is $10,657 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at Indiana University - Southeast

#21 in overall quality

University of Akron Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Akron Main Campus is located in Akron, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Akron Main Campus, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $17,792 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general social sciences students.

Full University of Akron Main Campus General Social Sciences Report

#15 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Flint ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Michigan - Flint is a public institution located in Flint, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UM Flint, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Flint is $12,734 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at University of Michigan - Flint

#11

Hiram College

Hiram, Ohio
#17 in overall quality

Hiram College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #11. This small school is located in Hiram, Ohio, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Hiram also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend Hiram is $21,294 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at Hiram College

#16 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Dearborn came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Michigan - Dearborn is a medium-sized school located in Dearborn, Michigan that handed out 15 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UM Dearborn also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $11,473 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students per year to attend University of Michigan - Dearborn.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Michigan - Dearborn General Social Sciences Report

#13

Carthage College

Kenosha, Wisconsin
#10 in overall quality

Carthage College landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Carthage is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It awarded 2 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general social sciences students list, Carthage has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $28,191 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general social sciences students per year to attend Carthage College.

The low 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 General Social Sciences at Carthage

#14

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#3 in overall quality

Michigan State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school handed out 129 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general social sciences students in 2019-2020.

Michigan State also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $19,173 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general social sciences students.

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

Full Michigan State University General Social Sciences Report

#15

Shawnee State University

Portsmouth, Ohio
#23 in overall quality

Shawnee State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Shawnee State University is a small school located in Portsmouth, Ohio that handed out 14 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Shawnee State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Shawnee State University is $16,320 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students.

Full Shawnee State University General Social Sciences Report

#16

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, McKendree University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Lebanon, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general social sciences students in 2019-2020.

McKendree also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for McKendree University is $19,844 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general social sciences students.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at McKendree

#17

Rockford University

Rockford, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Rockford University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Rockford is a small school located in Rockford, Illinois that handed out 1 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Rockford also took the #14 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Rockford is $22,197 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students.

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.

Full Rockford University General Social Sciences Report

#18

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #18. Olivet Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene is $20,195 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general social sciences students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Social Sciences at Olivet Nazarene

#19

Andrews University

Berrien Springs, Michigan
#22 in overall quality

Andrews University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Andrews is a small school located in Berrien Springs, Michigan that handed out 1 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Andrews not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Andrews is $21,934 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general social sciences students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low 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 General Social Sciences at Andrews

#20

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Roosevelt University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Roosevelt is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 2 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Roosevelt, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Roosevelt is $22,749 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general social sciences students.

Full Roosevelt General Social Sciences Report

#21

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#2 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 8 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,336 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general social sciences students per year to attend U-M.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full U-M General Social Sciences Report

#22

Denison University

Granville, Ohio
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, Denison University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Denison is located in Granville, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Denison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Denison University is $28,614 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general social sciences students.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at Denison

#23

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Northwestern University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #23. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 3 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $24,664 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students per year to attend Northwestern University.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about General Social Sciences at Northwestern

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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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