2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Area Studies is the 106th most popular major in the country with 6,820 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered a degree in area studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality area studies 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 area studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. 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 Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most 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 Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students with aid.
Top 19 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 8 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students with aid list, Purdue has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,986 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students with aid.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Area Studies at Purdue University - Main Campus
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 #2 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 18 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $15,880 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students with aid.
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 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 31 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Madison also took the #5 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,708 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students with aid per year to attend UW - Madison.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 16 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,312 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students with aid per year to attend UIC.
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%.
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.
IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,253 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students with aid per year to attend IU Bloomington.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 55 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $15,336 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students with aid.
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.
University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. UM Dearborn is a medium-sized school located in Dearborn, Michigan that handed out 9 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
UM Dearborn also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Dearborn is $11,473 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. 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.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students with aid list, GVSU has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,646 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students with aid per year to attend Grand Valley State University.
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 Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
UWM also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend UWM is $17,876 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students with aid.
With a ranking of #10, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $24,664 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students with aid per year to attend Northwestern University.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
University of Notre Dame landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 24 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Notre Dame is $33,025 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students with aid.
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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Siena Heights University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Siena Heights University is a small school located in Adrian, Michigan that handed out 16 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Siena Heights University also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Siena Heights University is $21,249 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students with aid.
Miami University - Oxford came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Oxford, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 55 students in 2019-2020.
Miami University - Oxford also took the #8 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $24,323 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students with aid per year to attend Miami University - Oxford.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Columbus, Ohio 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.
Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $17,616 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students with aid.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Area Studies at Ohio State University - Main Campus
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Bowling Green, Ohio, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at BGSU, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for BGSU is $18,394 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students with aid.
Read full report on Area Studies at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
University of Chicago landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 14 bachelors’s area studies degrees 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 $27,315 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Ohio University - Athens Campus came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. OHIO Athens is located in Athens, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students with aid list, OHIO Athens has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus is $22,906 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students with aid.
Read more about Area Studies at Ohio University - Athens Campus
DePaul University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. DePaul University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students with aid list, DePaul has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $30,090 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students with aid per year to attend DePaul University.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Denison University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Denison University is located in Granville, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students with aid list, Denison has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $28,614 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree area studies students with aid per year to attend Denison University.
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. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
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Best Area Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Area Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Area Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Online Area Studies Schools
Area Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
Area Studies students with family income less than $30k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region
Area Studies students with family income $48-$75k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income Over $110k) in the Great Lakes Region
Area Studies students with family income exceeding $110k in the Great Lakes Region
Highest Paid Bachelor's Degree Area Studies Graduates in the Great Lakes Region
Area Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Area Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Area Studies students getting aid in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
Area Studies students with family income $30-$48k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region
Area Studies students with family income $75-$110k in the Great Lakes Region
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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