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2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

125 Ranked Colleges
4,354 Degrees Awarded
$7,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 40,622 people earned their degree in elementary education, making the major the 19th most popular in the United States.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 5,199 elementary education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,354 elementary education graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 125 colleges that offer a degree in elementary education. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great elementary 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 elementary education program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The elementary teaching 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 Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Elementary Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to 33 students in 2019-2020.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $3,166 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 U-M Elementary Education Report

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 130 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $4,367 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 95%.

Full UW - Madison Elementary Education Report

#2 in overall quality

Out of the 125 schools in the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 67 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $5,477 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 Elementary Education at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#4

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school handed out 93 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s elementary teaching students in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also took the #7 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $4,969 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Elementary Education Report

#5

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#8 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 #5 for the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to 97 students in 2019-2020.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,483 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Purdue

#9 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a fairly large public school situated in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It awarded 122 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - La Crosse, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $7,939 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - La Crosse.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%.

Read more about Elementary Education at UW - La Crosse

Indiana University - Northwest did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. IU Northwest is a small public school situated in Gary, Indiana. It awarded 24 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend IU Northwest is $3,287 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Indiana University - Northwest

#13 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a public institution located in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 105 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater also took the #13 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Whitewater is $11,868 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Elementary Education Report

#9

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana
Top 25% in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Purdue University Northwest did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Purdue University Northwest is a medium-sized school located in Hammond, Indiana that handed out 77 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue Northwest is $6,911 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Purdue Northwest

#10

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#14 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a public institution located in River Falls, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 81 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls also made our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $8,366 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Elementary Education at UW - River Falls

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. IUPUI is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 167 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $5,052 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full IUPUI Elementary Education Report

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 50 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $8,194 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Elementary Education at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#13

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - Stevens Point is a medium-sized public school situated in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. It awarded 80 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Stevens Point did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $11,446 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Stevens Point.

Read full report on Elementary Education at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

#14

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana
Top 25% in overall quality

Ball State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Muncie, Indiana, this large public school awarded 133 degrees to qualified bachelors’s elementary teaching students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $8,403 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Ball State University Elementary Education Report

#15

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#19 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Platteville ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Platteville, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 57 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s elementary teaching students in 2019-2020.

UW - Platteville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $12,117 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Elementary Education at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

#16

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

Indiana University - South Bend did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Indiana University - South Bend is located in South Bend, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 40 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $4,641 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - South Bend.

Full Indiana University - South Bend Elementary Education Report

#17

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin
#18 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and it awarded 73 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Eau Claire has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $11,528 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UW - Eau Claire Elementary Education Report

#12 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to 57 students in 2019-2020.

UIC also took the #12 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $10,648 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.

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%.

Full UIC Elementary Education Report

#24 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. This fairly large school is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and it awarded 107 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW Oshkosh has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW Oshkosh is $11,687 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Elementary Education Report

#20

Indiana University - Kokomo

Kokomo, Indiana

Indiana University - Kokomo landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Kokomo, Indiana, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,360 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend IU Kokomo.

Read full report on Elementary Education at IU Kokomo

#21

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Southern Indiana is a public institution located in Evansville, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 74 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for USI is $8,244 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Elementary Education at University of Southern Indiana

#22

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan

Ferris State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Ferris is a fairly large public school situated in Big Rapids, Michigan. It awarded 42 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,207 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ferris State University.

Read more about Elementary Education at Ferris

#23

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

With a ranking of #23, Purdue University Fort Wayne did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. PFW is a medium-sized school located in Fort Wayne, Indiana that handed out 77 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University Fort Wayne is $7,129 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full PFW Elementary Education Report

With a ranking of #24, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to 60 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $8,055 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Elementary Education at SIUE

#25

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oakland is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 134 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Oakland is $7,490 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Oakland Elementary Education Report

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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 Vgrigas.

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