2023 Best Value Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies in the Great Lakes Region
14
Ranked Colleges
2,082
Degrees Awarded
$20,100
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 16,243 people earned their degree in area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies, making the major the 30th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,881 and had an average of $22,102 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 2,082 area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,473 and $24,906 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 14 colleges that offer a degree in area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality area, ethnic, culture, and gender 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, ethnic, culture, and gender studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students.
Top 14 Best Value Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grand Valley State University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at GVSU, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $17,356 for great lakes region area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at GVSU
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eastern Michigan University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region. Eastern Michigan University is a fairly large school located in Ypsilanti, Michigan that handed out 15 ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Eastern Michigan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,127 for Great Lakes Region Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students per year to attend Eastern Michigan.
Full Eastern Michigan Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 481 ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $17,234 for Great Lakes Region Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, 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 95%.
Read full report on Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees to 65 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students list, UWM has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,486 for great lakes region area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students per year to attend UWM.
Read more about Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #5 spot on the list. UIC is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 66 ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students list, UIC has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,214 for Great Lakes Region Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students per year to attend UIC.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.
Read more about Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at UIC
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees to 55 students in 2020-2021.
UIUC also made our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $14,321 for great lakes region area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Report
Siena Heights University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Siena Heights University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Adrian, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Siena Heights University, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Siena Heights University is $21,434 for great lakes region area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students.
Full Siena Heights University Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Report
Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school handed out 86 degrees to qualified ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies students in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington also made our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $14,619 for Great Lakes Region Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students.
The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read full report on Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington
Miami University - Oxford ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Oxford, Ohio, and it awarded 77 ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Miami University - Oxford also made our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Miami University - Oxford is $24,756 for great lakes region area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at Miami University - Oxford
With a ranking of #10, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.
Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $16,845 for Great Lakes Region Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, 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 undergraduate students.
Read more about Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at Ohio State University - Main Campus
DePaul University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 37 diplomas to qualified ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePaul, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend DePaul is $31,174 for Great Lakes Region Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 full report on Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at DePaul
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 161 ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $14,878 for Great Lakes Region Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at U-M
Oberlin College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Oberlin is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Oberlin, Ohio. It awarded 58 ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oberlin, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oberlin is $34,777 for Great Lakes Region Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 Oberlin College Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Report
With a ranking of #14, University of Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees to 69 students in 2020-2021.
UChicago also took the #6 spot in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $28,517 for great lakes region area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 100%.
Full University of Chicago Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Report
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Best Value Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies in the Great Lakes Region
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Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region
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Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
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Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
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Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students with family income less than $30k in the Great Lakes Region
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Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students with family income $48-$75k in the Great Lakes Region
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Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students with family income exceeding $110k in the Great Lakes Region
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Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Popular Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies in the Great Lakes Region
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Best Value Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students getting aid in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students with family income $30-$48k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students with family income $75-$110k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students 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
- *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 G. Mützel.
