2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2019-2020, 365,980 liberal arts students received their degree, making the major the 2nd most popular in the country.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 38,838 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,136 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 44 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in liberal arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality liberal arts programs that also have a lower cost than 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 liberal arts 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 Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 12 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $2,712 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #2 spot on the list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 238 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $4,969 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Notre Dame. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 47 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Notre Dame, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Notre Dame is $12,498 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a medium-sized public school situated in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It awarded 97 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Green Bay did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $11,337 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ball State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ball State is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 249 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Ball State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ball State University is $8,403 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Oakland University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Rochester Hills, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oakland, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oakland is $7,490 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
University of Wisconsin - Platteville came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - Platteville is a medium-sized public school situated in Platteville, Wisconsin. It awarded 3 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Platteville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $12,117 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Platteville.
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a fairly large public school situated in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It awarded 26 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Whitewater did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $11,868 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Whitewater.
Read more about Liberal Arts at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
With a ranking of #9, Purdue University Northwest did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Hammond, Indiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 45 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $6,911 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue University Northwest.
With a ranking of #10, Grand Valley State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school handed out 80 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, GVSU has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Grand Valley State University is $11,578 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Liberal Arts at Grand Valley State University
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a public institution located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Oshkosh, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW Oshkosh is $11,687 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Eau Claire not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Eau Claire is $11,528 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
University of Southern Indiana came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. USI is located in Evansville, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 35 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
USI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $8,244 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Southern Indiana.
The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%.
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - Stevens Point is a medium-sized public school situated in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. It awarded 1 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Stevens Point, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $11,446 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Indiana University - Southeast came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in New Albany, Indiana, this small public school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $6,697 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - Southeast.
Governors State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in University Park, Illinois, this small public school awarded 108 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.
GSU also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Governors State University is $10,872 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Northern Illinois University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 61 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.
NIU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $15,281 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. This medium-sized school is located in Dearborn, Michigan, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UM Dearborn is $6,751 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Eastern Illinois University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 123 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.
EIU also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Illinois University is $12,350 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a ranking of #20, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 10 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
WIU also took the #9 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,942 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WIU.
University of Illinois at Springfield came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Springfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIS, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIS is $9,771 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Youngstown State University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Youngstown State University is located in Youngstown, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $9,069 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Miami University - Middletown ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Miami University - Middletown is a public institution located in Middletown, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Miami University - Middletown is $11,810 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at Miami University - Middletown
Illinois State University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school handed out 44 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.
Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $14,470 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Saint Xavier University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Saint Xavier University is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 24 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,266 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Saint Xavier University.
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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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