24
Ranked Colleges
2,411
Degrees Awarded
$10,300
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Information Science is the 58th most popular major in the country with 18,325 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, information science graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $59,394 and had an average of $28,852 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 2,411 information science graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,224 and $22,002 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 24 colleges that offered a degree in information science. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great information science programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the information science program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
The is 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 IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.
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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region is students whose families make $0-$30k.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 100 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern also made our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $245 for Great Lakes Region IS students whose families make $0-$30k.
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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, 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 undergraduate students.
Read full report on Information Science at Northwestern
Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #2 spot on the list. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 390 ’s IS degrees to qualified students.
U-M also made our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $2,670 for great lakes region is students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend U-M.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 96%.
Read more about Information Science at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value IS Schools 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. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 388 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC also made our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $4,858 for great lakes region is students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Information Science at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #4 spot on the list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s IS degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.
UChicago also made our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $2,500 for Great Lakes Region IS students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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 100%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full UChicago Information Science Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ivy Tech Community College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Ivy Tech Community College is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 384 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.
Ivy Tech Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ivy Tech Community College is $6,213 for great lakes region is students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Ivy Tech Community College Information Science Report
Cuyahoga Community College District did quite well in the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Cuyahoga Community College District is a fairly large school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 51 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.
Cuyahoga Community College District also made our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $3,141 for Great Lakes Region IS students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cuyahoga Community College District.
Full Cuyahoga Community College District Information Science Report
With a ranking of #7, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified ’s IS students in 2020-2021.
Michigan State also made our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $6,927 for great lakes region is students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 more about Information Science at Michigan State University
University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 156 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.
UIC also made our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $10,549 for Great Lakes Region IS students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIC.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Information Science at UIC
With a ranking of #9, University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well on the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Dearborn, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s IS degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
UM Dearborn also made our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $9,113 for great lakes region is students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Michigan - Dearborn.
The low undergrad 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 University of Michigan - Dearborn Information Science Report
Ball State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Ball State University is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 55 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.
Ball State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $8,273 for great lakes region is students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Full Ball State University Information Science Report
Grand Valley State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. GVSU is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 36 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
GVSU also took the #11 spot in our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $10,259 for Great Lakes Region IS students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad 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 GVSU Information Science Report
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 203 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region is students whose families make $0-$30k list, UWM has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,973 for great lakes region is students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UWM.
Read more about Information Science at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Wayne State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wayne State University is a large school located in Detroit, Michigan that handed out 7 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wayne State, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,060 for great lakes region is students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wayne State University.
Full Wayne State Information Science Report
With a ranking of #14, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well on the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a medium-sized school located in Green Bay, Wisconsin that handed out 14 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Green Bay not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Green Bay is $8,258 for great lakes region is students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Information Science Report
University of Michigan - Flint did quite well in the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. UM Flint is located in Flint, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s IS degrees to qualified students.
UM Flint also made our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for UM Flint is $7,797 for great lakes region is students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Information Science at University of Michigan - Flint
Cleveland State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. This fairly large school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 82 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region is students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cleveland State University has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cleveland State University is $13,272 for great lakes region is students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Information Science at Cleveland State University
Eastern Michigan University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ypsilanti, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s IS degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
Eastern Michigan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Michigan is $12,465 for Great Lakes Region IS students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Information Science at Eastern Michigan University
Northwood University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Midland, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 14 degrees to qualified ’s IS students in 2020-2021.
Northwood also took the #17 spot in our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwood University is $15,303 for Great Lakes Region IS students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Information Science at Northwood
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. BGSU is located in Bowling Green, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s IS degrees to qualified students.
BGSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend BGSU is $14,079 for Great Lakes Region IS students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Information Science at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #20, Bradley University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bradley University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Peoria, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Bradley also made our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $16,588 for Great Lakes Region IS students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Bradley University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.
Full Bradley University Information Science Report
With a ranking of #21, University of Akron Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Akron, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified ’s IS students in 2020-2021.
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 Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $14,420 for great lakes region is students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full University of Akron Main Campus Information Science Report
Saint Xavier University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified ’s IS students in 2020-2021.
SXU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $9,716 for Great Lakes Region IS students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Saint Xavier University.
Read more about Information Science at SXU
DePaul University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 95 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.
DePaul did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend DePaul is $27,123 for Great Lakes Region IS students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 DePaul Information Science Report
Roosevelt University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value IS Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Roosevelt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region is students whose families make $0-$30k list, Roosevelt has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Roosevelt is $20,854 for Great Lakes Region IS students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Information Science at Roosevelt
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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
- *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
