2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2019-2020, 6,820 people earned their degree in area studies, making the major the 106th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, area studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,734 and had an average of $23,024 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 850 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,363 and $22,838 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 491 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 19 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in area studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent area studies programs, but they also 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 area studies program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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Best Value Area Studies 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 Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 19 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 13 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Northwestern also took the #2 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $1,866 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.
UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,712 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 55 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, U-M has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $3,166 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.
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%.
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Area Studies 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 Wisconsin - Madison landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Area Studies 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 Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Area Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Area Studies 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 Notre Dame landed the #5 spot on the list. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 24 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Notre Dame has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Notre Dame is $12,498 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 18 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC also took the #6 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.
Purdue also took the #7 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,483 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue.
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%.
With a ranking of #8, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $4,969 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #9, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ohio State is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
Ohio State also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $8,194 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.
Read more about Area Studies at Ohio State University - Main Campus
Grand Valley State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Allendale, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.
GVSU also took the #11 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $11,578 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
University of Michigan - Dearborn landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Dearborn, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, UM Dearborn has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Dearborn is $6,751 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
UIC also took the #12 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $10,648 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIC.
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%.
Miami University - Oxford ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large public school situated in Oxford, Ohio. It awarded 55 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Miami University - Oxford, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Miami University - Oxford is $13,759 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #14, Denison University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Granville, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Denison, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Denison is $18,990 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UWM is a public institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UWM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UWM is $13,222 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Area Studies at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Bowling Green, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.
BGSU also took the #17 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is $14,521 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Area Studies at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #17, Siena Heights University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Adrian, Michigan, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Siena Heights University also took the #13 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Siena Heights University is $18,135 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a ranking of #18, Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Athens, Ohio, this large public school awarded 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.
OHIO Athens also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for OHIO Athens is $17,584 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
DePaul University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. DePaul is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 11 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, DePaul has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend DePaul is $26,173 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
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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 Karl Udo Gerth.
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