by our College Data Analytics Team
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 99,265 accounting students received their degree, making the major the 8th most popular in the country. In 2019-2020, accounting graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $47,712 and had an average of $26,539 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 14,839 accounting graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,417 and $25,672 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 220 colleges that offered a degree in accounting. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great accounting 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 accounting program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region accounting students with aid.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Oakland Community College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Oakland Community College is a public institution located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 87 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Oakland Community College is $3,665 for great lakes region accounting students with aid.
Out of the 220 schools in the Best Value Accounting 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 #2 spot on the list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s accounting degrees to 385 students in 2020-2021.
UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,321 for great lakes region accounting students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Accounting at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Out of the 220 schools in the Best Value Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Madison Area Technical College landed the #3 spot on the list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s accounting degrees to 106 students in 2020-2021.
Madison College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Madison Area Technical College is $10,053 for Great Lakes Region Accounting students with aid.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Gateway Technical College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Gateway Technical College is a public institution located in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 143 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Gateway Technical College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Gateway Technical College is $8,487 for Great Lakes Region Accounting students with aid.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Eastern Gateway Community College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Steubenville, Ohio, this large public school awarded 190 degrees to qualified ’s accounting students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Eastern Gateway Community College is $2,543 for Great Lakes Region Accounting students with aid.
With a ranking of #6, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Cincinnati State is a medium-sized public school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 31 ’s accounting degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Cincinnati State is $5,532 for great lakes region accounting students with aid.
Ivy Tech Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Ivy Tech Community College is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 857 ’s accounting degrees to qualified students.
Ivy Tech Community College excels when it comes to accounting quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Ivy Tech Community College is $7,669 for great lakes region accounting students with aid.
Cuyahoga Community College District did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 141 degrees to qualified ’s accounting students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Cuyahoga Community College District is $4,909 for Great Lakes Region Accounting students with aid.
Read more about Accounting at Cuyahoga Community College District
Washtenaw Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 45 diplomas to qualified ’s accounting students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Washtenaw Community College is $3,624 for Great Lakes Region Accounting students with aid.
Lansing Community College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Lansing, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 28 diplomas to qualified ’s accounting students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $5,212 for great lakes region accounting students with aid per year to attend Lansing Community College.
Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school handed out 124 diplomas to qualified ’s accounting students in 2020-2021.
Purdue also made our “Best Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $13,377 for great lakes region accounting students with aid per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.
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%.
Read full report on Accounting at Purdue University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #12, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 219 ’s accounting degrees to qualified students.
UW - Madison also made our “Best Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $17,234 for Great Lakes Region Accounting students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, 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 95%.
Lorain County Community College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. LCCC is located in Elyria, Ohio and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 50 ’s accounting degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Lorain County Community College is $2,884 for Great Lakes Region Accounting students with aid.
Read full report on Accounting at Lorain County Community College
With a ranking of #14, Milwaukee Area Technical College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 81 diplomas to qualified ’s accounting students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, MATC is in the top on our “Best Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for MATC is $8,721 for great lakes region accounting students with aid.
Michigan State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Michigan State is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 216 ’s accounting degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region accounting students with aid list, Michigan State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $19,058 for great lakes region accounting students with aid.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Sinclair Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Sinclair Community College is a fairly large school located in Dayton, Ohio that handed out 20 ’s accounting degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Sinclair Community College is $4,959 for Great Lakes Region Accounting students with aid.
Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 32 ’s accounting degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $14,619 for Great Lakes Region Accounting students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.
With a ranking of #18, Western Technical College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Western Technical College is a small public school situated in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It awarded 43 ’s accounting degrees in 2020-2021.
Western Technical College also claimed a top spot on our “Best Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Western Technical College is $10,279 for Great Lakes Region Accounting students with aid.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Northcentral Technical College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Northcentral Technical College is a medium-sized public school situated in Wausau, Wisconsin. It awarded 73 ’s accounting degrees in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, North Central Technical College also did well on our “Best Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Northcentral Technical College is $10,490 for great lakes region accounting students with aid.
Read full report on Accounting at Northcentral Technical College
University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 189 ’s accounting degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region accounting students with aid list, UIC has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $13,214 for great lakes region accounting students with aid.
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%.
Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school handed out 367 degrees to qualified ’s accounting students in 2020-2021.
Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,845 for Great Lakes Region Accounting students with aid per year to attend Ohio State.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Accounting at Ohio State University - Main Campus
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a public institution located in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 150 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Whitewater, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $14,417 for great lakes region accounting students with aid.
Read full report on Accounting at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
Henry Ford College landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Henry Ford College is a fairly large school located in Dearborn, Michigan that handed out 25 ’s accounting degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Henry Ford College is $3,194 for great lakes region accounting students with aid.
Fox Valley Technical College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Appleton, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 147 diplomas to qualified ’s accounting students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Fox Valley Technical College is $12,207 for great lakes region accounting students with aid.
Stark State College landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Accounting Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Stark State College is a fairly large public school situated in North Canton, Ohio. It awarded 65 ’s accounting degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Stark State College is $5,963 for Great Lakes Region Accounting students with aid.
Not only did these schools make the top 34 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Read more about our data sources and methodologies