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2023 Best Value Colleges for Finance & Financial Management (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

123 Ranked Colleges
9,758 Degrees Awarded
$9,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Finance & Financial Management is the 14th most popular major in the country with 57,778 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, finance and financial management graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $53,475 and had an average of $24,463 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 9,758 finance and financial management graduates with average earnings and debt of $52,044 and $24,671 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 123 colleges that offered a degree in finance and financial management. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent finance and financial management 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 and financial management program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. 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 Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Finance & Financial Management (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

1
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 74 ’s finance degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $917 for great lakes region finance students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read full report on Finance & Financial Management at Northwestern

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 463 ’s finance degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region finance students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $4,788 for great lakes region finance students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Madison.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full UW - Madison Finance & Financial Management Report

3
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Out of the 123 schools in the Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 276 ’s finance degrees in 2020-2021.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,853 for great lakes region finance students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus Finance & Financial Management Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 287 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $8,036 for great lakes region finance students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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 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%.

Full UIUC Finance & Financial Management Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s finance degrees to 767 students in 2020-2021.

Ohio State also made our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $8,581 for great lakes region finance students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Finance & Financial Management at Ohio State

6
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s finance degrees to 301 students in 2020-2021.

Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $9,136 for Great Lakes Region Finance students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Notre Dame.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 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%.

Full University of Notre Dame Finance & Financial Management Report

7

With a ranking of #7, Madison Area Technical College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Madison College is a fairly large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 13 ’s finance degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region finance students whose families make $30-$48k list, Madison College has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Madison Area Technical College is $8,473 for great lakes region finance students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Madison Area Technical College Finance & Financial Management Report

8
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 107 diplomas to qualified ’s finance students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,839 for great lakes region finance students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oakland University.

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%.

Read more about Finance & Financial Management at Oakland

9
Western Technical College crest
Western Technical College
La Crosse, Wisconsin

Western Technical College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 9 ’s finance degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Western Technical College is $7,768 for Great Lakes Region Finance students whose families make $30-$48k.

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.

Read full report on Finance & Financial Management at Western Technical College

10

University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. This medium-sized school is located in Dearborn, Michigan, and it awarded 94 ’s finance degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Dearborn is $10,465 for Great Lakes Region Finance students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full UM Dearborn Finance & Financial Management Report

11

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. This fairly large school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 163 ’s finance degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - La Crosse also took the #24 spot in our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $10,075 for great lakes region finance students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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 more about Finance & Financial Management at UW - La Crosse

12
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Michigan State University is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 343 ’s finance degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $15,170 for Great Lakes Region Finance students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Finance & Financial Management at Michigan State

13

With a ranking of #13, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 261 degrees to qualified ’s finance students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,351 for Great Lakes Region Finance students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 Finance & Financial Management at UIC

14

Michigan Technological University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Michigan Technological University is located in Houghton, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 ’s finance degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $8,983 for Great Lakes Region Finance students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Michigan Tech.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, 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.

Full Michigan Technological University Finance & Financial Management Report

15
MATC crest
Milwaukee Area Technical College
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee Area Technical College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. Milwaukee Area Technical College is a fairly large public school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 6 ’s finance degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend MATC is $8,079 for Great Lakes Region Finance students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Finance & Financial Management at MATC

16

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large school located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that handed out 112 ’s finance degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UW - Eau Claire also did well on our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $10,658 for Great Lakes Region Finance students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Finance & Financial Management Report

17
GVSU crest
Grand Valley State University
Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school handed out 280 diplomas to qualified ’s finance students in 2020-2021.

GVSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $11,026 for Great Lakes Region Finance students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Finance & Financial Management at Grand Valley State University

18

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a fairly large school located in Whitewater, Wisconsin that handed out 186 ’s finance degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $10,390 for great lakes region finance students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Finance & Financial Management at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

19
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 92 degrees to qualified ’s finance students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,346 for Great Lakes Region Finance students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Central Michigan University.

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 more about Finance & Financial Management at Central Michigan

20
FVTC crest
Fox Valley Technical College
Appleton, Wisconsin

Fox Valley Technical College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. FVTC is a fairly large school located in Appleton, Wisconsin that handed out 5 ’s finance degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $10,223 for great lakes region finance students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Fox Valley Technical College.

Read full report on Finance & Financial Management at FVTC

21
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ball State University is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 78 ’s finance degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Ball State is $10,786 for great lakes region finance students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read full report on Finance & Financial Management at Ball State University

22
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Wayne State is a large school located in Detroit, Michigan that handed out 144 ’s finance degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Wayne State University is $11,414 for great lakes region finance students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Wayne State University Finance & Financial Management Report

23

Purdue University Northwest landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Purdue Northwest is a public institution located in Hammond, Indiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 37 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,608 for great lakes region finance students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Purdue University Northwest.

Read full report on Finance & Financial Management at Purdue Northwest

24

Youngstown State University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Youngstown State University is a fairly large public school situated in Youngstown, Ohio. It awarded 48 ’s finance degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $9,972 for Great Lakes Region Finance students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Youngstown State University Finance & Financial Management Report

25

Miami University - Oxford landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Finance Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large public school situated in Oxford, Ohio. It awarded 342 ’s finance degrees in 2020-2021.

Miami University - Oxford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,062 for Great Lakes Region Finance students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Miami University - Oxford.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, 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 88%.

Read more about Finance & Financial Management at Miami University - Oxford

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