2023 Best Value Colleges for General Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
60
Ranked Colleges
3,130
Degrees Awarded
$9,500
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
General Education is the 31st most popular major in the country with 29,810 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 3,130 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 60 colleges that offer a degree in general education. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general education programs, but they also cost less that 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 general education program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value 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 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 233 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $4,858 for Great Lakes Region General Education 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UIUC General Education Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 124 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $2,670 for Great Lakes Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor General Education Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general education degrees to 258 students in 2020-2021.
Purdue also made our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,995 for Great Lakes Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.
Read full report on General Education at Purdue
Out of the 60 schools in the Best Value General Education 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 is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 186 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan State also made our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $6,927 for Great Lakes Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, 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 91%.
Read full report on General Education at Michigan State
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 281 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region general education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Ohio State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $7,068 for Great Lakes Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The 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 full report on General Education at Ohio State University - Main Campus
Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.
IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $5,752 for great lakes region general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Education at IU Bloomington
With a ranking of #7, Grand Valley State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. GVSU is a large school located in Allendale, Michigan that handed out 239 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
GVSU also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $10,259 for Great Lakes Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Grand Valley State University.
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%.
Read full report on General Education at Grand Valley State University
Beloit College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Beloit College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Beloit, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Beloit did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Beloit is $7,970 for great lakes region general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate 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.
Read more about General Education at Beloit College
University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. University of Michigan - Dearborn is located in Dearborn, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 29 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for UM Dearborn is $9,113 for Great Lakes Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad 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 UM Dearborn
Ivy Tech Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school handed out 206 diplomas to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Ivy Tech Community College is $6,213 for Great Lakes Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about General Education at Ivy Tech Community College
With a ranking of #11, Purdue University Northwest did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Purdue Northwest is located in Hammond, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 46 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $6,775 for great lakes region general education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue University Northwest.
Read more about General Education at Purdue University Northwest
University of Wisconsin - Stout did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 89 degrees to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.
UW - Stout also made our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout is $10,074 for great lakes region general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad 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%.
Full UW - Stout General Education Report
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general education degrees to 148 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region general education students whose families make $0-$30k list, UWM has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,973 for great lakes region general education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.
Read full report on General Education at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Miami University - Oxford did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Miami University - Oxford is a public institution located in Oxford, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region general education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Miami University - Oxford has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Miami University - Oxford is $13,956 for Great Lakes Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Miami University - Oxford General Education Report
University of Michigan - Flint came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UM Flint is a medium-sized public school situated in Flint, Michigan. It awarded 47 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UM Flint is $7,797 for Great Lakes Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full UM Flint General Education Report
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a public institution located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 75 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Green Bay not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Green Bay is $8,258 for great lakes region general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full University of Wisconsin - Green Bay General Education Report
With a ranking of #17, Stark State College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stark State College is a fairly large public school situated in North Canton, Ohio. It awarded 39 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Stark State College is $5,937 for great lakes region general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about General Education at Stark State College
With a ranking of #18, Concordia University, Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in River Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 11 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Concordia University, Chicago, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Chicago is $15,644 for Great Lakes Region General Education 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 more about General Education at Concordia University, Chicago
Alverno College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Alverno is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 4 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Alverno is $17,790 for great lakes region general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about General Education at Alverno College
Valparaiso University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Valpo is a small school located in Valparaiso, Indiana that handed out 9 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
Valpo also made our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $19,548 for Great Lakes Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Valparaiso University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at Valparaiso University
Eastern Michigan University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Eastern Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Ypsilanti, Michigan. It awarded 13 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Eastern Michigan, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan is $12,465 for Great Lakes Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about General Education at Eastern Michigan University
Kent State University at Kent came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Kent, Ohio, this large public school handed out 63 degrees to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.
Kent State also made our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for Kent State University at Kent is $13,793 for Great Lakes Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Kent State General Education Report
University of Wisconsin - Platteville ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - Platteville is a medium-sized public school situated in Platteville, Wisconsin. It awarded 33 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $8,887 for great lakes region general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full UW - Platteville General Education Report
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 58 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stevens Point is $7,903 for Great Lakes Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on General Education at UW - Stevens Point
Saginaw Valley State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. University Center, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general education degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $10,424 for great lakes region general education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Saginaw Valley State University.
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 General Education at Saginaw Valley State University
