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

180 Ranked Colleges
16,211 Degrees Awarded
$34,025 Avg Salary
Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

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 $48-$75k” 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the education program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Education Schools

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

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. 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 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 Education (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. 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. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $6,452 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 97%.

Full Northwestern University Education Report

#2

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#12 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. 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. Purdue is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 253 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $9,654 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Education at Purdue

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and 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. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $10,028 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Education Report

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. 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. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 230 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,227 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UW - Madison 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 #5 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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 yearly cost to attend UIUC is $13,351 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Education at UIUC

#6

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#13 in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington 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. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 355 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $12,060 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 more about Education at Indiana University - Bloomington

#7

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin
Top 20% in overall quality

Beloit College came in at #7 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. Beloit College is located in Beloit, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

Beloit also claimed a top spot on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Beloit College is $10,769 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Education at Beloit College

#15 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse ranked #8 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 - La Crosse is a fairly large public school situated in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It awarded 165 bachelors’s education degrees 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 $13,304 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW - La Crosse.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Education at UW - La Crosse

#8 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale 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. SIUC is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 253 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,985 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Education Report

Indiana University - Northwest 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 $48-$75k ranking. Indiana University - 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 $9,473 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend IU Northwest.

Read full report on Education at IU Northwest

#11

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin
Top 15% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay 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. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a medium-sized school located in Green Bay, Wisconsin that handed out 74 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UW - Green Bay is in the top 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 $14,584 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Education at UW - Green Bay

#16 in overall quality

University of Illinois at 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. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 116 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

UIC also took the #16 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,683 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low 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%.

Full UIC Education Report

#13

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 $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. River Falls, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 178 students in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $13,474 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read more about Education at UW - River Falls

#14

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin
#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater 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. University of Wisconsin - 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $14,941 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Education at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

#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 $48-$75k list. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a fairly large school located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that handed out 177 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $14,887 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW - Eau Claire.

Read more about Education at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

#16

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
Top 20% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Platteville ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k 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 in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $15,152 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Education at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

#17

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

Purdue University Northwest ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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.

It costs about $13,449 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Purdue Northwest.

Read more about Education at Purdue University Northwest

Top 25% in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Ohio State University - Main Campus 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 large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 378 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $13,982 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Education at Ohio State

Wright State University - Lake Campus landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Wright State University - Lake Campus is a public institution located in Celina, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Wright State University - Lake Campus is $12,664 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Education at Wright State University - Lake Campus

#20

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#24 in overall quality

Grand Valley State University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Grand Valley State University is a large school located in Allendale, Michigan that handed out 368 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

GVSU also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $15,775 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend GVSU.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at Grand Valley State University

#21

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point came in at #21 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. Located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 204 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,165 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.

Read more about Education at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

#22

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Rochester Hills, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 140 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $10,387 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Education at Oakland

#23

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin
Top 15% in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, University of Wisconsin - Stout 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 medium-sized school is located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, and it awarded 124 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UW - Stout also did well on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stout is $15,235 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Stout Education Report

Top 25% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh ranked #24 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 - 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 UW Oshkosh is $15,236 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full UW Oshkosh Education Report

#25

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University 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. Eastern Illinois University is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 121 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend EIU is $13,560 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Eastern Illinois University Education Report

Rest of the Best 28 in Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

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

#26

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana
#28

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

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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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