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2023 Best Value Colleges for Library & Information Science (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

6 Ranked Colleges
868 Degrees Awarded
$10,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Library Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Library Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 5,950 people earned their degree in library and information science, making the major the 121st most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, library and information science graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $43,949 and had an average of $27,472 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 868 library and information science graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,588 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Library Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 6 colleges that offer a degree in library and information science. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent library and information science programs, but they also cost less that 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 library and information science program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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The library science school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Library Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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 by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Library Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Library Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 6 Best Value Colleges for Library & Information Science (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Library Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 90 ’s library science degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison also took the #1 spot in our “Best Library & Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $3,981 for Great Lakes Region Library Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on Library & Information Science at University of Wisconsin - Madison

2
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Out of the 6 schools in the Best Value Library Science Schools 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. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 58 ’s library science degrees in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Library & Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $5,752 for Great Lakes Region Library Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Library & Information Science Report

3
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Out of the 6 schools in the Best Value Library Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Wayne State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Detroit, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s library science degrees to 169 students in 2020-2021.

Wayne State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Library & Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wayne State is $11,060 for great lakes region library science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Wayne State Library & Information Science Report

4
Dominican U crest
Dominican University
River Forest, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dominican University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Library Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. River Forest, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s library science degrees to 66 students in 2020-2021.

Dominican U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Library & Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Dominican U is $16,372 for Great Lakes Region Library Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Read full report on Library & Information Science at Dominican University

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Kent State University at Kent. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Library Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Kent, Ohio, and it awarded 173 ’s library science degrees in 2020-2021.

Kent State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Library & Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Kent State is $13,793 for great lakes region library science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Kent State Library & Information Science Report

6

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Library Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 198 ’s library science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UWM, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Library & Information Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,973 for great lakes region library science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.

Read more about Library & Information Science at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

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