2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 $48-$75k” 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 $48-$75k” 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Elementary Teaching 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 Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Elementary Education (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 125 schools in the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 33 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Elementary 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 Elementary Teaching 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read full report on Elementary Education at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Purdue University - Main Campus is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 97 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $9,654 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Purdue University - Main Campus Elementary Education Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 130 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Madison also made our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $13,227 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 Elementary Education Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 67 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to qualified students.
UIUC also made our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $13,351 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Out of the 125 schools in the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #5 spot on the list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 93 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.
IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $12,060 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #6, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 122 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 $48-$75k list, UW - La Crosse has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,304 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - 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.
Full University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Elementary Education Report
With a ranking of #7, Indiana 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 $48-$75k list. IU Northwest is a small public school situated in Gary, Indiana. It awarded 24 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $9,473 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Indiana University - Northwest.
With a ranking of #8, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,683 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #9, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 105 degrees to qualified bachelors’s elementary teaching students 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 yearly cost to attend UW - Whitewater is $14,941 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a ranking of #10, 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 $48-$75k list. Purdue Northwest is a public institution located in Hammond, Indiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 77 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Purdue University Northwest is $13,449 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read full report on Elementary Education at Purdue Northwest
With a ranking of #10, University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is a public institution located in Platteville, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Platteville, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,152 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville.
Read full report on Elementary Education at University of Wisconsin - Platteville
University of Wisconsin - River Falls 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 $48-$75k ranking. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 81 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s elementary teaching students 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. It costs about $13,474 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls.
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%.
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 80 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW - Stevens Point has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $14,165 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a ranking of #14, Oakland University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Oakland University 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 estimated yearly cost for Oakland is $10,387 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a ranking of #15, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UW - Eau Claire is a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 73 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Eau Claire did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $14,887 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Oshkosh, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to 107 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW Oshkosh has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,236 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh.
Full University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Elementary Education Report
Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. Charleston, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to 49 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend EIU is $13,560 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 167 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $12,314 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.
Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school handed out 50 degrees to qualified bachelors’s elementary teaching students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $13,982 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching 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 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%.
Read full report on Elementary Education at Ohio State University - Main Campus
Indiana University - South Bend landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. South Bend, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - South Bend is $10,585 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read full report on Elementary Education at Indiana University - South Bend
Northern Illinois University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to 61 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend NIU is $18,346 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.
Full Northern Illinois University Elementary Education Report
Ball State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Ball State is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 133 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $15,185 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.
Wheaton College Illinois ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Wheaton, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 28 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s elementary teaching students in 2019-2020.
Wheaton College Illinois also took the #5 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $19,691 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 Elementary Education at Wheaton College Illinois
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 $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $13,705 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.
Purdue University Fort Wayne landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Purdue University Fort Wayne is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 77 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University Fort Wayne is $12,023 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.
Full Purdue University Fort Wayne 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.
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- Credit for the banner image above goes to Vgrigas.
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