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2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

180 Ranked Colleges
16,211 Degrees Awarded
$9,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

With 310,601 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, education is the 4th most popular major in the United States. In 2017-2018, education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $43,887 and had an average of $30,244 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 43,513 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,643 and $27,857 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 16,211 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 180 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality education programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the education program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Education Schools

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 Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college 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 Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

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 $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Education (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 180 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $3,995 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Education at Northwestern

#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 77 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M also took the #2 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,887 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend U-M.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at U-M

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 230 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $6,860 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Education Report

#4

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#12 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 253 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $5,879 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Education Report

#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 190 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,464 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Education at UIUC

#6

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. IU Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 355 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $6,192 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at IU Bloomington

Indiana University - Northwest ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. IU Northwest is a public institution located in Gary, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,960 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - Northwest.

Read full report on Education at IU Northwest

#8

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#21 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a medium-sized public school situated in River Falls, Wisconsin. It awarded 178 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - River Falls, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $10,124 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low 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%.

Full University of Wisconsin - River Falls Education Report

#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. La Crosse, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 165 students in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $9,795 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - La Crosse Education Report

#10

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin
Top 15% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UW - Green Bay is a public institution located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 74 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UW - Green Bay also did well on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $11,641 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Education at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

#11

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin
Top 20% in overall quality

Beloit College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Beloit is a private not-for-profit institution located in Beloit, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Beloit also did well on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Beloit is $7,628 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 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 more about Education at Beloit College

Top 25% in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 378 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $10,037 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Ohio State Education Report

#13

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

Purdue University Northwest came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Hammond, Indiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 86 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University Northwest is $8,401 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Education at Purdue University Northwest

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school handed out 209 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,315 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend IUPUI.

Read more about Education at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

#15

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin
#20 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 177 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Eau Claire, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Eau Claire is $11,828 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UW - Eau Claire Education Report

#16

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UW - Stevens Point is a public institution located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 204 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Stevens Point.

Full UW - Stevens Point Education Report

#17

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin
#25 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. UW - Whitewater is a public institution located in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 304 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater also took the #25 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Whitewater is $12,156 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Education at UW - Whitewater

#18

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

Indiana University - South Bend ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Indiana University - South Bend is located in South Bend, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 67 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - South Bend is $5,057 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Education at Indiana University - South Bend

#8 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 253 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also took the #8 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $14,306 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full SIUC Education Report

#16 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 116 students in 2019-2020.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $11,185 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The 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 full report on Education at UIC

#21

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#24 in overall quality

Grand Valley State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Allendale, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 368 students in 2019-2020.

GVSU also took the #24 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for GVSU is $12,459 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 more about Education at GVSU

#22

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
Top 20% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Platteville ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Platteville, Wisconsin, and it awarded 93 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Platteville excels when it comes to education quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Platteville is $12,930 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Education at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

#23

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin
Top 15% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stout landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Stout is a medium-sized public school situated in Menomonie, Wisconsin. It awarded 124 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Stout also claimed a top spot on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stout is $10,778 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at UW - Stout

#24

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and it awarded 140 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Oakland University is $7,751 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Education at Oakland

Top 25% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UW Oshkosh is a public institution located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 215 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $13,114 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UW Oshkosh Education Report

Rest of the Best 28 in Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 28 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana
#27

Indiana University - Kokomo

Kokomo, Indiana

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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 Horadrim.

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