2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Individualized Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Individualized Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Individualized Studies is the 35th most popular major in the country with 36,493 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 11,470 individualized studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 47 individualized studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,039 and $42,488 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Individualized Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 3 colleges that offered a degree in individualized studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent individualized studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the individualized 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Individualized Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” 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.

Best Value Individualized Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Individualized Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 3 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Individualized Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

$16,757 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value Individualized Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 3 masters’s individualized studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIS, the school also landed the #0 spot in our “Best Individualized Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIS are $16,757, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Individualized Studies at UIS

#2

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

#2 in overall quality

$15,822 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend North Central College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Individualized Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. North Central College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Naperville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

North Central did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Individualized Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at North Central College are $15,822.

Full North Central Individualized Studies Report

#3

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

#1 in overall quality

$19,760 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend DePaul University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Individualized Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. DePaul is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 19 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree individualized studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, DePaul has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Individualized Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at DePaul are $19,760, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Individualized Studies at DePaul

• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Individualized Studies (Income $0-$30k)

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.

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