by our College Data Analytics Team
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 61,055 people earned their degree in legal professions, making the major the 16th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, legal professions graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $47,649 and had an average of $28,699 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 8,634 legal professions graduates with average earnings and debt of $46,243 and $28,022 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 45 colleges that offered a degree in legal professions. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality legal professions programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the legal professions program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Oakland Community College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Oakland Community College is a fairly large public school situated in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. It awarded 53 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Oakland Community College is $3,665 for great lakes region legal professions students with aid.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Cuyahoga Community College District. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s legal professions degrees to 53 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region legal professions students with aid list, Cuyahoga Community College District has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cuyahoga Community College District is $4,909 for great lakes region legal professions students with aid.
Read more about Legal Professions at Cuyahoga Community College District
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lewis and Clark Community College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Lewis and Clark Community College is a public institution located in Godfrey, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region legal professions students with aid list, Lewis and Clark Community College has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lewis and Clark Community College is $6,972 for Great Lakes Region Legal Professions students with aid.
Read more about Legal Professions at Lewis and Clark Community College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Sinclair Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Sinclair Community College is located in Dayton, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.
Sinclair Community College also took the #23 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $4,959 for great lakes region legal professions students with aid per year to attend Sinclair Community College.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend City Colleges of Chicago - Wilbur Wright College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Wilbur Wright College is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for City Colleges of Chicago - Wilbur Wright College is $2,482 for great lakes region legal professions students with aid.
Read more about Legal Professions at City Colleges of Chicago - Wilbur Wright College
Ivy Tech Community College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ivy Tech Community College is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 157 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Ivy Tech Community College also took the #18 spot in our “Best Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ivy Tech Community College is $7,669 for Great Lakes Region Legal Professions students with aid.
Read full report on Legal Professions at Ivy Tech Community College
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 381 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region legal professions students with aid list, U-M has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,878 for great lakes region legal professions students with aid per year to attend U-M.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, 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%.
Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Legal Professions Report
Southwestern Illinois College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Southwestern Illinois College is located in Belleville, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 ’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend SWIC is $6,995 for great lakes region legal professions students with aid.
With a ranking of #9, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 405 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $17,234 for great lakes region legal professions students with aid per year to attend UW - Madison.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Legal Professions at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. IU Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 202 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington also made our “Best Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $14,619 for Great Lakes Region Legal Professions students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school awarded 398 diplomas to qualified ’s legal professions students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $12,416 for great lakes region legal professions students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Stark State College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in North Canton, Ohio, and it awarded 14 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Stark State College is $5,963 for great lakes region legal professions students with aid.
Read full report on Legal Professions at Stark State College
Northwestern University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 515 diplomas to qualified ’s legal professions students in 2020-2021.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $23,279 for great lakes region legal professions students with aid.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Ball State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Ball State is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Ball State also made our “Best Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $14,765 for great lakes region legal professions students with aid.
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%.
Grand Valley State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Grand Valley State University is located in Allendale, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 34 ’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.
GVSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $17,356 for great lakes region legal professions students with aid per year to attend GVSU.
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%.
Madonna University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Livonia, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 degrees to qualified ’s legal professions students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region legal professions students with aid list, Madonna has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Madonna University is $18,212 for Great Lakes Region Legal Professions students with aid.
Central Michigan University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Central Michigan is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.
Central Michigan also made our “Best Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan is $16,007 for Great Lakes Region Legal Professions 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 Legal Professions at Central Michigan University
Kent State University at Kent landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Kent State is located in Kent, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.
Kent State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Kent State University at Kent is $19,117 for great lakes region legal professions students with aid.
Davenport University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Davenport University is a medium-sized school located in Grand Rapids, Michigan that handed out 20 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Davenport University is $18,264 for great lakes region legal professions students with aid.
Read full report on Legal Professions at Davenport University
Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 191 ’s legal professions degrees to qualified students.
Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $16,845 for Great Lakes Region Legal Professions 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 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%.
Wayne State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Wayne State is a large public school situated in Detroit, Michigan. It awarded 126 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Wayne State is $13,962 for Great Lakes Region Legal Professions students with aid.
Read full report on Legal Professions at Wayne State University
With a ranking of #22, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this large public school awarded 223 degrees to qualified ’s legal professions students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $22,415 for Great Lakes Region Legal Professions students with aid per year to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Legal Professions Report
With a ranking of #23, University of Detroit Mercy did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Detroit, Michigan, and it awarded 184 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Detroit Mercy is $17,058 for Great Lakes Region Legal Professions students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Legal Professions at University of Detroit Mercy
MacCormac College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified ’s legal professions students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for MacCormac is $19,233 for great lakes region legal professions students with aid.
University of Toledo ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Legal Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Toledo is a fairly large school located in Toledo, Ohio that handed out 109 ’s legal professions degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $17,312 for Great Lakes Region Legal Professions students with aid per year to attend University of Toledo.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies