2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid
60
Ranked Colleges
3,130
Degrees Awarded
$15,300
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 29,810 people earned their degree in general education, making the major the 31st most popular in the United States.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 3,130 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 60 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general education. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general education programs and 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
The general education 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 General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid”.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Education in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Out of the 60 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. Purdue is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 258 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
Purdue also made our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $13,377 for great lakes region general education students with aid per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Full Purdue General Education Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 233 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.
UIUC also made our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $14,321 for Great Lakes Region General Education students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.
Read more about General Education at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Out of the 60 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Michigan State University landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 186 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan State also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $19,058 for great lakes region general education students with aid per year to attend Michigan State University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.
Full Michigan State General Education Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ivy Tech Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Ivy Tech Community College is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 206 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $7,669 for Great Lakes Region General Education students with aid per year to attend Ivy Tech Community College.
Read full report on General Education at Ivy Tech Community College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 124 diplomas to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region general education students with aid list, U-M has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,878 for great lakes region general education students with aid per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.
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%. 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 General Education Report
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is a large public school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 148 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
UWM also took the #10 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,486 for Great Lakes Region General Education students with aid per year to attend UWM.
Read more about General Education at UWM
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - Green Bay is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 75 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.
UW - Green Bay also took the #22 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,092 for great lakes region general education students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay.
Read full report on General Education at UW - Green Bay
Grand Valley State University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. GVSU is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 239 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
GVSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for GVSU is $17,356 for great lakes region general education students with aid.
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 more about General Education at GVSU
University of Michigan - Dearborn landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Michigan - Dearborn is a medium-sized school located in Dearborn, Michigan that handed out 29 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UM Dearborn is $12,855 for Great Lakes Region General Education students with aid.
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 University of Michigan - Dearborn
Purdue University Northwest ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Purdue University Northwest is a medium-sized public school situated in Hammond, Indiana. It awarded 46 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Purdue University Northwest is $11,384 for great lakes region general education students with aid.
Read more about General Education at Purdue University Northwest
With a ranking of #11, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 2 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
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. It costs about $14,619 for great lakes region general education students with aid per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 IU Bloomington
Stark State College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Stark State College is a public institution located in North Canton, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $5,963 for Great Lakes Region General Education students with aid per year to attend Stark State College.
Full Stark State College General Education Report
With a ranking of #13, University of Wisconsin - Stout did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Stout is a medium-sized school located in Menomonie, Wisconsin that handed out 89 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Stout did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stout is $15,589 for Great Lakes Region General Education students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at UW - Stout
Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 281 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $16,845 for Great Lakes Region General Education students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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 General Education at Ohio State
University of Michigan - Flint landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Flint, Michigan, and it awarded 47 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $12,689 for great lakes region general education students with aid per year to attend UM Flint.
Read full report on General Education at UM Flint
Concordia University, Chicago came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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 11 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region general education students with aid list, Concordia University, Chicago has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Chicago is $17,051 for Great Lakes Region General Education students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Education at Concordia University, Chicago
Eastern Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. This fairly large school is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and it awarded 13 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
Eastern Michigan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan is $15,127 for Great Lakes Region General Education students with aid.
Read full report on General Education at Eastern Michigan
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - Stevens Point is a medium-sized public school situated in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. It awarded 58 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $13,346 for great lakes region general education students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.
Read full report on General Education at UW - Stevens Point
University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Platteville, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 33 diplomas to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $14,565 for great lakes region general education students with aid per year to attend UW - Platteville.
Read more about General Education at University of Wisconsin - Platteville
Saginaw Valley State University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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.
The yearly cost to attend Saginaw Valley State University is $14,279 for great lakes region general education students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at Saginaw Valley State University
Kent State University at Kent came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Kent State University at Kent is a large public school situated in Kent, Ohio. It awarded 63 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
Kent State also took the #25 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $19,117 for Great Lakes Region General Education students with aid per year to attend Kent State University at Kent.
Read more about General Education at Kent State
Miami University - Oxford did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large public school situated in Oxford, Ohio. It awarded 25 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region general education students with aid list, Miami University - Oxford has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $24,756 for Great Lakes Region General Education students with aid 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 General Education at Miami University - Oxford
Alverno College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general education degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Alverno College is $19,437 for great lakes region general education students with aid.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 Alverno
Western Illinois University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Western Illinois University is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $15,305 for Great Lakes Region General Education students with aid.
Read full report on General Education at Western Illinois University
Valparaiso University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. Valparaiso University is located in Valparaiso, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.
Valpo also made our “Best General Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $22,899 for great lakes region general education students with aid per year to attend Valpo.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Valparaiso University General Education Report
