2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2019-2020, 29,936 people earned their degree in general education, making the major the 28th most popular in the United States.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 3,216 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,058 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 42 colleges that offered a degree in general education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general education programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general education program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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Best Value General Education 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 General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 13 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $5,477 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, 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 94%.
Read full report on General Education at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Michigan State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 157 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $6,686 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State University.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read full report on General Education at Michigan State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general education students in 2019-2020.
Purdue also took the #9 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,483 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.
The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. 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 more about General Education at Purdue University - Main Campus
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This medium-sized school is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and it awarded 74 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Green Bay, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Green Bay is $11,337 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Beloit College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Beloit, Wisconsin, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Beloit has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Beloit is $8,574 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Grand Valley State University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. GVSU is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 221 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
GVSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $11,578 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Grand Valley State University.
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%.
Read full report on General Education at Grand Valley State University
With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 153 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
UWM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UWM is $13,222 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about General Education at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
University of Michigan - Dearborn ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Michigan - Dearborn is a public institution located in Dearborn, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UM Dearborn is $6,751 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low 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 more about General Education at University of Michigan - Dearborn
With a ranking of #9, Denison University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Granville, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general education students in 2019-2020.
Denison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Denison University is $18,990 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Lake Forest College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lake Forest College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lake Forest, Illinois. It awarded 11 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
Lake Forest did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $18,192 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lake Forest.
The low 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%.
With a ranking of #11, Marquette University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Marquette is a private not-for-profit institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Marquette not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $19,169 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Marquette.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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%.
Illinois College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois College is a small school located in Jacksonville, Illinois that handed out 2 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Illinois College is $11,376 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a ranking of #13, Miami University - Oxford did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Oxford, Ohio, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
Miami University - Oxford also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for Miami University - Oxford is $13,759 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about General Education at Miami University - Oxford
Marian University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general education students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $14,053 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Marian University.
John Carroll University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. This small school is located in University Heights, Ohio, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
John Carroll not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for John Carroll University is $20,360 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.
Kent State University at Kent ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Kent State University at Kent is a public institution located in Kent, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 95 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Kent State is $13,915 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Mount St. Joseph University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mount St. Joe, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mount St. Joe is $14,097 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Marietta College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Marietta is a small school located in Marietta, Ohio that handed out 6 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
Marietta not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Marietta is $17,208 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Taylor University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Taylor University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Upland, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Taylor U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Taylor University is $18,399 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Manchester University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in North Manchester, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general education students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Manchester University has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,712 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Manchester University.
Read full report on General Education at Manchester University
University of Evansville came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Evansville, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general education students in 2019-2020.
UE also took the #16 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Evansville is $15,212 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Read more about General Education at University of Evansville
Elmhurst University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Elmhurst University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 1 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
Elmhurst also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst University is $16,903 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%.
University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of St. Francis Fort Wayne is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s general education degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne is $12,429 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne General Education Report
DePauw University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Greencastle, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general education students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePauw, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for DePauw University is $14,008 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Hiram College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Hiram, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general education degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $21,421 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Hiram College.
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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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