2023 Best Value Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
35
Ranked Colleges
835
Degrees Awarded
$11,000
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Higher Education/Higher Education Administration is the 160th most popular major in the country with 4,709 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 835 higher education/higher education administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 35 colleges that offered a degree in higher education/higher education administration. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality higher education/higher education administration programs that also have a lower cost than 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 higher education/higher education administration 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 Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
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. 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 Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region higher education/higher education administration students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Higher Education/Higher Education Administration (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 31 ’s higher education/higher education administration degrees to qualified students.
Northwestern also took the #1 spot in our “Best Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $245 for great lakes region higher education/higher education administration students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 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%.
Read more about Higher Education/Higher Education Administration at Northwestern
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 31 ’s higher education/higher education administration degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M also made our “Best Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $2,670 for Great Lakes Region Higher Education/Higher Education Administration students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full U-M Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Report
Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 14 ’s higher education/higher education administration degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $5,752 for Great Lakes Region Higher Education/Higher Education Administration students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read more about Higher Education/Higher Education Administration at Indiana University - Bloomington
Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Michigan State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Michigan State University is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 65 ’s higher education/higher education administration degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan State also took the #4 spot in our “Best Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $6,927 for Great Lakes Region Higher Education/Higher Education Administration students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.
Read more about Higher Education/Higher Education Administration at Michigan State
Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Ball State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Ball State is located in Muncie, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s higher education/higher education administration degrees to qualified students.
Ball State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ball State University is $8,273 for Great Lakes Region Higher Education/Higher Education Administration 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%.
Read full report on Higher Education/Higher Education Administration at Ball State
Oakland University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oakland University is a fairly large public school situated in Rochester Hills, Michigan. It awarded 22 ’s higher education/higher education administration degrees in 2020-2021.
Oakland not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $8,949 for Great Lakes Region Higher Education/Higher Education Administration students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oakland University.
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 more about Higher Education/Higher Education Administration at Oakland University
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a fairly large public school situated in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It awarded 40 ’s higher education/higher education administration degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - La Crosse did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - La Crosse is $7,517 for great lakes region higher education/higher education administration students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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 Higher Education/Higher Education Administration at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
Concordia University, Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Concordia University, Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in River Forest, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region higher education/higher education administration students whose families make $0-$30k list, Concordia University, Chicago has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Chicago is $15,644 for Great Lakes Region Higher Education/Higher Education Administration students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Higher Education/Higher Education Administration at Concordia University, Chicago
University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s higher education/higher education administration degrees to qualified students.
UIC also made our “Best Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $10,549 for great lakes region higher education/higher education administration students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 Higher Education/Higher Education Administration at UIC
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 34 ’s higher education/higher education administration degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $8,047 for great lakes region higher education/higher education administration students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Higher Education/Higher Education Administration at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
With a ranking of #11, National Louis University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. National Louis University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s higher education/higher education administration degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at NLU, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend National Louis University is $14,190 for Great Lakes Region Higher Education/Higher Education Administration students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Higher Education/Higher Education Administration at NLU
With a ranking of #12, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Central Michigan is a fairly large school located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan that handed out 13 ’s higher education/higher education administration degrees in 2020-2021.
Central Michigan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $10,805 for great lakes region higher education/higher education administration students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Central Michigan.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Higher Education/Higher Education Administration at Central Michigan
Western Michigan University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 3 degrees to qualified ’s higher education/higher education administration students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region higher education/higher education administration students whose families make $0-$30k list, WMU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Michigan University is $13,112 for great lakes region higher education/higher education administration students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Higher Education/Higher Education Administration at Western Michigan University
Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Allendale, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s higher education/higher education administration degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.
GVSU also made our “Best Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $10,259 for Great Lakes Region Higher Education/Higher Education Administration students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend GVSU.
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%.
Full Grand Valley State University Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Report
Eastern Michigan University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Higher Education/Higher Education Administration 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 higher education/higher education administration degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.
Eastern Michigan also made our “Best Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Michigan University is $12,465 for great lakes region higher education/higher education administration students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Eastern Michigan University Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Report
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC is a large school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 11 ’s higher education/higher education administration degrees in 2020-2021.
UC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,061 for great lakes region higher education/higher education administration students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Higher Education/Higher Education Administration at UC
Kent State University at Kent did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Kent State University at Kent is a large public school situated in Kent, Ohio. It awarded 89 ’s higher education/higher education administration degrees in 2020-2021.
Kent State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Kent State is $13,793 for great lakes region higher education/higher education administration students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Higher Education/Higher Education Administration at Kent State
With a ranking of #18, Madonna University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Madonna is a private not-for-profit institution located in Livonia, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Madonna University is $15,673 for Great Lakes Region Higher Education/Higher Education Administration students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Madonna University Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Report
Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 11 ’s higher education/higher education administration degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $11,665 for Great Lakes Region Higher Education/Higher Education Administration students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full SIUC Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Report
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - Whitewater is a fairly large school located in Whitewater, Wisconsin that handed out 8 ’s higher education/higher education administration degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UW - Whitewater is $8,143 for great lakes region higher education/higher education administration students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full UW - Whitewater Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Report
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Bowling Green, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 3 degrees to qualified ’s higher education/higher education administration students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region higher education/higher education administration students whose families make $0-$30k list, BGSU has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend BGSU is $14,079 for great lakes region higher education/higher education administration students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Higher Education/Higher Education Administration at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
University of Toledo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Toledo, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s higher education/higher education administration degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $13,803 for Great Lakes Region Higher Education/Higher Education Administration students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Toledo.
Read more about Higher Education/Higher Education Administration at University of Toledo
McKendree University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. McKendree University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lebanon, Illinois. It awarded 7 ’s higher education/higher education administration degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at McKendree, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend McKendree University is $15,273 for Great Lakes Region Higher Education/Higher Education Administration students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 Higher Education/Higher Education Administration at McKendree University
Cardinal Stritch University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cardinal Stritch University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 4 ’s higher education/higher education administration degrees in 2020-2021.
Cardinal Stritch also made our “Best Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for Cardinal Stritch University is $17,584 for Great Lakes Region Higher Education/Higher Education Administration 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Higher Education/Higher Education Administration at Cardinal Stritch University
University of Akron Main Campus came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Akron, Ohio, and it awarded 11 ’s higher education/higher education administration degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Akron Main Campus is $14,420 for great lakes region higher education/higher education administration students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full University of Akron Main Campus Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Report
