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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Finance (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

118 Ranked Colleges
8,465 Degrees Awarded
$9,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 52,394 finance students received their degree, making the major the 10th most popular in the country.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 9,217 finance graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 8,465 finance graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 118 colleges that offer a degree in finance. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent finance 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 finance program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Finance (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 307 bachelors’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree finance students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Finance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $4,367 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Finance at UW - Madison

#2

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Notre Dame. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Notre Dame is located in Notre Dame, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 235 bachelors’s finance degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree finance students whose families make $0-$30k list, Notre Dame has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Finance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Notre Dame is $12,498 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The 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.

Read more about Finance at University of Notre Dame

#2 in overall quality

Out of the 118 schools in the Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 256 bachelors’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Finance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

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.

Full UIUC Finance Report

#4

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Michigan State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Michigan State University is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 376 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Finance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $6,686 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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 more about Finance at Michigan State University

#5

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 202 bachelors’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Finance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,483 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Finance at Purdue University - Main Campus

#5 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school handed out 741 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s finance students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Finance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $8,194 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Finance Report

#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. La Crosse, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s finance degrees to 170 students in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse also made our “Best Finance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $7,939 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Finance at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

Top 25% in overall quality

Michigan Technological University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan Technological University is a medium-sized public school situated in Houghton, Michigan. It awarded 19 bachelors’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Michigan Tech is $8,295 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Finance at Michigan Tech

#19 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 219 degrees to qualified bachelors’s finance students in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater also took the #19 spot in our “Best Finance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $11,868 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Finance at UW - Whitewater

#10

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin
#20 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. UW - Eau Claire is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 101 bachelors’s finance degrees to qualified students.

UW - Eau Claire also took the #20 spot in our “Best Finance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $11,528 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Finance at UW - Eau Claire

#11

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#22 in overall quality

Grand Valley State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. GVSU is a large school located in Allendale, Michigan that handed out 271 bachelors’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

GVSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Finance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for GVSU is $11,578 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full GVSU Finance Report

#12

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ball State University is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 100 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Ball State is $8,403 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Finance at Ball State University

#13

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - Stevens Point is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s finance degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $11,446 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Finance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Stevens Point.

Read more about Finance at UW - Stevens Point

#14

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

Purdue University Northwest landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Hammond, Indiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s finance degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,911 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Finance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue University Northwest.

Full Purdue University Northwest Finance Report

#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s finance degrees to 253 students in 2019-2020.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Finance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $10,648 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Finance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIC.

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%.

Full UIC Finance Report

#16

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Rochester Hills, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s finance degrees to 99 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland is $7,490 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Finance at Oakland University

#17

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan

Ferris State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Big Rapids, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s finance students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Ferris is $7,207 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Finance at Ferris State University

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oshkosh, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s finance degrees to 80 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW Oshkosh is $11,687 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Finance at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

#19

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Southern Indiana is a public institution located in Evansville, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for USI is $8,244 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 more about Finance at USI

#7 in overall quality

Miami University - Oxford ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Miami University - Oxford is a public institution located in Oxford, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 393 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Miami University - Oxford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Finance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Miami University - Oxford is $13,759 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Miami University - Oxford Finance Report

With a ranking of #21, University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Dearborn, Michigan, this medium-sized public school awarded 74 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s finance students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Dearborn is $6,751 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UM Dearborn Finance Report

#22

Franklin University

Columbus, Ohio

Franklin University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Franklin University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,328 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree finance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Franklin University.

Full Franklin University Finance Report

#23

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 90 bachelors’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,281 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree finance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NIU.

Read full report on Finance at Northern Illinois University

University of Michigan - Flint came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Flint, Michigan, this medium-sized public school handed out 33 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s finance students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UM Flint is $7,955 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Finance at UM Flint

#25

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Finance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Mount Pleasant, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s finance degrees to 90 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,598 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Finance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Central Michigan.

Full Central Michigan University Finance Report

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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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