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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Education (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

42 Ranked Colleges
1,058 Degrees Awarded
$32,136 Avg Salary
Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

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 Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

General Education is the 35th most popular major in the country with 29,936 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, general education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $47,138 and had an average of $29,674 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 3,216 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,306 and $27,810 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 42 colleges that offer 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Education (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $9,654 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus General Education Report

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k list, UIUC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $13,351 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#3

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Beloit College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Beloit, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k 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 $10,769 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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. 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%.

Full Beloit College General Education Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UW - Green Bay is a medium-sized school located in Green Bay, Wisconsin that handed out 74 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Green Bay also took 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 $14,584 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on General Education at UW - Green Bay

#5

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Out of the 42 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Grand Valley State University landed the #5 spot on the list. GVSU is located in Allendale, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 221 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

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. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $15,775 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at Grand Valley State University

#6

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. Michigan State is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 157 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k list, Michigan State has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $20,696 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Michigan State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Education at Michigan State University

University of Michigan - Dearborn ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Michigan - Dearborn is a medium-sized public school situated in Dearborn, Michigan. It awarded 11 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UM Dearborn is $10,553 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 full report on General Education at University of Michigan - Dearborn

#8

Denison University

Granville, Ohio

Denison University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. This small school is located in Granville, Ohio, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Denison also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Denison is $22,652 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Denison General Education Report

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is a public institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 153 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k list, UWM has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is $17,881 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about General Education at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

#10

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. Lake Forest College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lake Forest, Illinois. It awarded 11 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k list, Lake Forest has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lake Forest is $24,683 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read full report on General Education at Lake Forest

#11

Manchester University

North Manchester, Indiana

Manchester University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Manchester University is located in North Manchester, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

Manchester University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Manchester University is $16,934 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about General Education at Manchester University

#12

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 7 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Chicago is $17,295 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about General Education at Concordia University, Chicago

#13

Marian University

Indianapolis, Indiana

Marian University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Marian is $19,470 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about General Education at Marian

#14

John Carroll University

University Heights, Ohio

John Carroll University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in University Heights, Ohio, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k list, John Carroll has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $23,468 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend John Carroll University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Education at John Carroll University

#15

Alverno College

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
#19 in overall quality

Alverno College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

Alverno not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Alverno is $15,783 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

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.

Read full report on General Education at Alverno College

#16

DePauw University

Greencastle, Indiana

DePauw University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. DePauw University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Greencastle, Indiana. It awarded 16 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

DePauw not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $18,183 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend DePauw University.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

Read more about General Education at DePauw

#17

Mount St. Joseph University

Cincinnati, Ohio
#24 in overall quality

Mount St. Joseph University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Mount St. Joe is a small school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 9 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Mount St. Joe did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Mount St. Joseph University is $15,921 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on General Education at Mount St. Joe

#18

Marietta College

Marietta, Ohio
#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Marietta College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Marietta, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 6 students 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. It costs about $17,712 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Marietta.

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.

Read more about General Education at Marietta College

#19

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

Elmhurst University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Elmhurst is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

Elmhurst not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst University is $19,703 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read more about General Education at Elmhurst University

#19

Taylor University

Upland, Indiana
#17 in overall quality

Taylor University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Upland, Indiana, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s education 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 U is $22,891 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at Taylor U

#21

University of Evansville

Evansville, Indiana
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, University of Evansville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Evansville, Indiana, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UE, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $18,455 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UE.

With a 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 student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 87%.

Read more about General Education at UE

#22

Hiram College

Hiram, Ohio

With a ranking of #22, Hiram College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Hiram College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Hiram, Ohio. It awarded 11 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $21,976 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Hiram College.

Full Hiram College General Education Report

#23

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Illinois College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Jacksonville, Illinois. It awarded 2 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Illinois College is $14,942 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Illinois College General Education Report

#24

Marquette University

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
#2 in overall quality

Marquette University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Marquette University 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Marquette University is $25,492 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on General Education at Marquette

#25

Saint Norbert College

De Pere, Wisconsin
#15 in overall quality

Saint Norbert College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Saint Norbert College is a private not-for-profit institution located in De Pere, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SNC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Norbert College is $23,111 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Education at Saint Norbert 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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to KOKUYO.

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