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2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region

76 Ranked Colleges
4,620 Degrees Awarded
$15,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.

With 559,661 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, liberal arts / sciences and humanities is the 3rd most popular major in the United States. In 2017-2018, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $26,786 and had an average of $16,538 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 65,409 liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,947 and $17,710 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,620 liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 76 colleges that offer a degree in liberal arts / sciences and humanities. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the liberal arts / sciences and humanities program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities in the Great Lakes Region

#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. UW - Green Bay is a medium-sized school located in Green Bay, Wisconsin that handed out 103 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Green Bay, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $14,395 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at UW - Green Bay

#2

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Western Illinois University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 169 students in 2019-2020.

WIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,210 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students per year to attend Western Illinois University.

Full WIU Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#3

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#15 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. UW - Platteville is a public institution located in Platteville, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Platteville, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Platteville is $15,718 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

#17 in overall quality

Out of the 76 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a fairly large school located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin that handed out 37 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Oshkosh also took the #17 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW Oshkosh is $15,463 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at UW Oshkosh

#5

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Out of the 76 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Illinois University landed the #5 spot on the list. EIU is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 123 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students list, EIU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,607 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students per year to attend EIU.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Eastern Illinois University

#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 26 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Whitewater is $15,249 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

#7

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. NIU is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $18,259 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students per year to attend Northern Illinois University.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Northern Illinois University

#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Eau Claire, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Eau Claire is $16,020 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. IWU is located in Marion, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 69 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $22,207 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students per year to attend IWU.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at IWU

#10

Baker College

Owosso, Michigan

With a ranking of #10, Baker College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Baker College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Owosso, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,049 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students per year to attend Baker College.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Baker College

#11

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Grand Valley State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Allendale, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 80 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students list, GVSU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,646 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students per year to attend Grand Valley State University.

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 / Sciences & Humanities at GVSU

#12

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

Purdue University Northwest came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Hammond, Indiana, this medium-sized public school awarded 45 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University Northwest is $11,250 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Purdue University Northwest

#13

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan

Ferris State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Big Rapids, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 54 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,889 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students per year to attend Ferris.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Ferris

#14

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio

Youngstown State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Youngstown, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 117 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,947 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students per year to attend Youngstown State University.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Youngstown State University

#15

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a medium-sized school located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin that handed out 1 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Stevens Point is $14,465 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.

Full UW - Stevens Point Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#16

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Illinois State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 144 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also took the #11 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $20,895 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students.

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%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Illinois State

#17

Maranatha Baptist University

Watertown, Wisconsin

Maranatha Baptist University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. Watertown, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend MBU is $18,736 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students.

Full MBU Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 54 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $16,945 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at SIUC

#19

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #19. University of Illinois at Springfield is a small school located in Springfield, Illinois that handed out 15 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Springfield is $12,477 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at University of Illinois at Springfield

#20

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. GSU is a public institution located in University Park, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 108 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend GSU is $12,077 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at GSU

#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, Kent State University at Kent did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Kent, Ohio, this large public school awarded 140 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Kent State, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Kent State University at Kent is $18,885 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Kent State University at Kent

With a ranking of #22, Kent State University at Trumbull did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Kent State University at Trumbull is located in Warren, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Kent State University at Trumbull is $7,954 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.

Full Kent State University at Trumbull Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#23

Union Institute & University

Cincinnati, Ohio

Union Institute & University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Union Institute & University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 6 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Union Institute & University is $16,585 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.

The low 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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Union Institute & University

#24

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan
#12 in overall quality

Oakland University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 139 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students list, Oakland has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $11,802 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Oakland

With a ranking of #25, Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Bowling Green, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 72 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for BGSU is $18,394 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students.

Full BGSU Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

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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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