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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology in the Great Lakes Region

103 Ranked Colleges
2,819 Degrees Awarded
$15,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 37,747 people earned their degree in sociology, making the major the 20th most popular in the United States.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 3,219 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,819 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 103 colleges that offered a degree in sociology. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent sociology 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 sociology program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” list to help you make the college 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. 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 Sociology 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 sociology students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology in the Great Lakes Region

#14 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 52 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

UW - La Crosse did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - La Crosse is $14,580 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%.

Read full report on Sociology at UW - La Crosse

#2

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 15 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - River Falls is $13,748 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - River Falls Sociology Report

#3

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#24 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a public institution located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 97 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Stevens Point not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Stevens Point is $14,465 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students.

Full UW - Stevens Point Sociology Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Whitewater is a public institution located in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Whitewater is $15,249 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students.

Read more about Sociology at UW - Whitewater

#5

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University Northwest. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Located in Hammond, Indiana, this medium-sized public school awarded 43 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University Northwest is $11,250 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students.

Read more about Sociology at Purdue University Northwest

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 72 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $18,259 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students.

Read more about Sociology at NIU

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 35 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $14,423 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students.

Read more about Sociology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #8. UW - Parkside is a small school located in Kenosha, Wisconsin that handed out 22 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,327 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students per year to attend UW - Parkside.

Read more about Sociology at UW - Parkside

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $16,020 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students.

Read more about Sociology at UW - Eau Claire

#10

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 28 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,607 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.

Read more about Sociology at EIU

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 11 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,463 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students per year to attend UW Oshkosh.

Full University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Sociology Report

#12

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Illinois State is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 76 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students list, Illinois State has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $20,895 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at Illinois State University

#13

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,210 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students per year to attend Western Illinois University.

Read more about Sociology at WIU

#14

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 34 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for WMU is $19,433 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students.

Full Western Michigan University Sociology Report

#15

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Grand Valley State University is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 27 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,646 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students per year to attend Grand Valley State University.

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 GVSU Sociology Report

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #16. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $16,945 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students.

Full SIUC Sociology Report

#17

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UWM is a public institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 69 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is $17,876 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students.

Read more about Sociology at UWM

#18

Indiana University - East

Richmond, Indiana

Indiana University - East did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #18. IU East is located in Richmond, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - East is $7,722 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students.

Read full report on Sociology at IU East

#19

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #19. This fairly large school is located in Evansville, Indiana, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Southern Indiana is $13,437 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students.

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 Sociology at USI

#20

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio

Youngstown State University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Youngstown State University is a public institution located in Youngstown, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $11,947 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students.

Read more about Sociology at Youngstown State University

#21

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 95 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students list, Purdue has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,986 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students per year to attend Purdue.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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 93%.

Read full report on Sociology at Purdue

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. BGSU is located in Bowling Green, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend BGSU is $18,394 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students.

Read more about Sociology at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus

#23

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small public school handed out 25 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Chicago State University is $11,733 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 Sociology at CSU

#24

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #24. Eastern Michigan is a fairly large public school situated in Ypsilanti, Michigan. It awarded 15 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,924 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students per year to attend Eastern Michigan University.

Read full report on Sociology at Eastern Michigan

#25

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland State University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 29 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cleveland State University is $17,278 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students.

Read more about Sociology at Cleveland State University

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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 Kontos.

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