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2023 Best Value Colleges for History in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

57 Ranked Colleges
3,756 Degrees Awarded
$16,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

History is the 23rd most popular major in the country with 32,731 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, history graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $30,467 and had an average of $23,587 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 3,756 history graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,228 and $24,399 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 57 colleges that offered a degree in history. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent history 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 history program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region history students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for History in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

1

Out of the 57 schools in the Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 117 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region history students with aid list, UIUC has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,321 for great lakes region history students with aid per year to attend UIUC.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Read more about History at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

2

Out of the 57 schools in the Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 160 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,878 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid per year to attend U-M.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor History Report

3

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 History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 154 degrees to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region history students with aid list, UW - Madison has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,234 for great lakes region history students with aid per year to attend UW - Madison.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 History Report

4
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 83 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $14,619 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington History Report

5
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Out of the 57 schools in the Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 47 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,377 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 History at Purdue

6

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school handed out 41 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,416 for great lakes region history students with aid per year to attend IUPUI.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

7

With a ranking of #7, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 47 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region history students with aid list, UIC has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,214 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UIC History Report

8
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Oakland is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 51 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Oakland also took the #24 spot in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oakland is $13,449 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 full report on History at Oakland

9

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. This fairly large school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 21 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - La Crosse is $14,654 for great lakes region history students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

10

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 43 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $14,417 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid per year to attend UW - Whitewater.

Read full report on History at UW - Whitewater

11

With a ranking of #11, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools 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 ’s history degrees to 155 students in 2020-2021.

Ohio State also made our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $16,845 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Ohio State University - Main Campus

12

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - Eau Claire is a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 41 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Eau Claire also made our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $16,051 for great lakes region history students with aid per year to attend UW - Eau Claire.

Read full report on History at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

13
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

With a ranking of #13, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 82 degrees to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $23,279 for great lakes region history students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Northwestern History Report

14

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. This fairly large school is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and it awarded 21 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UW Oshkosh is $14,687 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid.

Read full report on History at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

15
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

With a ranking of #15, Ball State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Ball State University is a large school located in Muncie, Indiana that handed out 53 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Ball State is $14,765 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.

Read full report on History at Ball State University

16

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 33 degrees to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Green Bay is $13,092 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid.

Full UW - Green Bay History Report

17

With a ranking of #17, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $13,346 for great lakes region history students with aid.

Full UW - Stevens Point History Report

18
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Michigan State University is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 47 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $19,058 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about History at Michigan State

19
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Central Michigan University is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 39 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

Central Michigan also took the #25 spot in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,007 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid per year to attend Central Michigan.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.

Full Central Michigan University History Report

20

University of Wisconsin - Parkside ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Parkside is a small school located in Kenosha, Wisconsin that handed out 17 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside is $11,082 for great lakes region history students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at UW - Parkside

21
Ashland crest
Ashland University
Ashland, Ohio

Ashland University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Ashland University is located in Ashland, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 75 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region history students with aid list, Ashland has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ashland is $20,974 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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 History at Ashland University

22
Illinois State crest
Illinois State University
Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 107 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $20,830 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois State History Report

23

With a ranking of #23, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UC is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 53 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

UC also took the #14 spot in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC is $22,415 for great lakes region history students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

24

With a ranking of #24, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 30 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,462 for great lakes region history students with aid.

Read more about History at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

25
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Notre Dame also took the #2 spot in our “Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Notre Dame is $31,101 for Great Lakes Region History students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on History at University of Notre Dame

Notes and References

References

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