2025 Best General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region
80
Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
11,594
General Studies Degrees Awarded
If you pursue a degree in
general studies, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #5 most popular program in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.
College Factual looked at 80 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 11,594 degrees in general studies to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great General Studies School
Your choice of general studies school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall General Studies School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
General Studies Rankings by Degree Level
When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list to help you make the college decision.
You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you.
When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.
Best Schools for General Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the general studies degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
16 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in General Studies
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
12th
Most Popular In IL
67
General Studies Degrees Awarded
DePaul University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in general studies. DePaul is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #135 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means DePaul is a great university overall.
There were roughly 67 general studies students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in general studies from DePaul University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
18th
Most Popular In MI
50
General Studies Degrees Awarded
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in general studies. Located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.
There were roughly 50 general studies students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in general studies from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Associates
Degree Type
AA in Liberal Arts
Program Name
Strengthen your communication and critical-thinking skills with this online associate in liberal arts degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
More information about a degree in AA in Liberal Arts from Southern New Hampshire UniversityRelated Programs
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
20th
Most Popular In IL
61
General Studies Degrees Awarded
Lincoln Land Community College is a great decision for students interested in a degree in general studies. LLCC is a moderately-sized public college located in the rural area of Springfield. A Best Colleges rank of #437 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means LLCC is a great college overall.
There were about 61 general studies students who graduated with this degree at LLCC in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in general studies from Lincoln Land Community College
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In IN
106
General Studies Degrees Awarded
It's difficult to beat Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global if you want to pursue a degree in general studies. IWU is a large private not-for-profit university located in the rural area of Marion. A Best Colleges rank of #224 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means IWU is a great university overall.
There were about 106 general studies students who graduated with this degree at IWU in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in general studies from Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
5th
Most Popular In OH
92
General Studies Degrees Awarded
Located in the suburb of Kent, Kent State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #250 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Kent State is a great university overall.
There were roughly 92 general studies students who graduated with this degree at Kent State in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in general studies from Kent State University at Kent
IWU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Marion. A Best Colleges rank of #555 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means IWU is a great university overall.
There were approximately 28 general studies students who graduated with this degree at IWU in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in general studies from Indiana Wesleyan University
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
16th
Most Popular In IL
56
General Studies Degrees Awarded
Waubonsee is a medium-sized public college located in the rural area of Sugar Grove. A Best Colleges rank of #590 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Waubonsee is a great college overall.
There were roughly 56 general studies students who graduated with this degree at Waubonsee in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in general studies from Waubonsee Community College
Bachelors
Degree Type
BA in General Studies
Program Name
Maximize your transfer credits and complete your bachelor's degree faster with this flexible online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
More information about a degree in BA in General Studies from Southern New Hampshire UniversityRelated Programs
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
11th
Most Popular In IL
131
General Studies Degrees Awarded
Located in the large suburb of Palatine, Harper College is a public college with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 25th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were approximately 131 general studies students who graduated with this degree at Harper College in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in general studies from William Rainey Harper College
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In MI
954
General Studies Degrees Awarded
Macomb Community College is a fairly large public college located in the midsize city of Warren. A Best Colleges rank of #499 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Macomb Community College is a great college overall.
There were roughly 954 general studies students who graduated with this degree at Macomb Community College in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in general studies from Macomb Community College
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
4th
Most Popular In MI
265
General Studies Degrees Awarded
Located in the suburb of Auburn Hills, Oakland Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 22nd out of 56 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.
There were approximately 265 general studies students who graduated with this degree at Oakland Community College in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in general studies from Oakland Community College
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
10th
Most Popular In IL
67
General Studies Degrees Awarded
Illinois State is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Normal. A Best Colleges rank of #210 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.
There were about 67 general studies students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in general studies from Illinois State University
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
27th
Most Popular In IL
106
General Studies Degrees Awarded
Located in the large suburb of Grayslake, College of Lake County is a public college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #504 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means College of Lake County is a great college overall.
There were approximately 106 general studies students who graduated with this degree at College of Lake County in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in general studies from College of Lake County
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
5th
Most Popular In MI
219
General Studies Degrees Awarded
Located in the medium-sized city of Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Community College is a public college with a large student population. This college ranks 18th out of 56 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.
There were roughly 219 general studies students who graduated with this degree at Grand Rapids Community College in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in general studies from Grand Rapids Community College
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
9th
Most Popular In MI
196
General Studies Degrees Awarded
Located in the rural area of University Center, Delta College is a public college with a medium-sized student population. This college ranks 19th out of 56 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.
There were roughly 196 general studies students who graduated with this degree at Delta College in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in general studies from Delta College
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
19th
Most Popular In IL
39
General Studies Degrees Awarded
Located in the large suburb of South Holland, SSC is a public college with a small student population. This college ranks 27th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were roughly 39 general studies students who graduated with this degree at SSC in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in general studies from South Suburban College
