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2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

22 Ranked Colleges
807 Degrees Awarded
$13,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor's 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 International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 7,874 people earned their degree in international studies, making the major the 95th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, international studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,355 and had an average of $22,904 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 893 international studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,100 and $25,004 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 807 international studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 22 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in international studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great international studies programs and 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 international studies program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 International 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.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

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

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

Top 22 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for International Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 227 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M also took the #2 spot in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $3,166 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, 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 96%.

Read full report on International Studies at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#2

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value International 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 Notre Dame landed the #2 spot on the list. Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame also took the #1 spot in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Notre Dame is $12,498 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Notre Dame International Studies Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 82 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also took the #5 spot in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $4,367 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Madison.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about International Studies at UW - Madison

#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s international studies degrees to 50 students in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #6 spot in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $5,477 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on International Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#5

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UW - River Falls is located in River Falls, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s international studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - River Falls has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - River Falls is $8,366 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Studies at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

#6

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is located in Platteville, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s international studies degrees to qualified students.

UW - Platteville also took the #3 spot in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,117 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Platteville.

Read full report on International Studies at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

#7

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

With a ranking of #7, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $6,686 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, 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.

Read full report on International Studies at Michigan State

#8

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #8, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - Stevens Point is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s international studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Stevens Point has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,446 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.

Full University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point International Studies Report

#9

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Grand Valley State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Allendale, Michigan, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, GVSU has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for GVSU is $11,578 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Studies at Grand Valley State University

#8 in overall quality

Miami University - Oxford ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oxford, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s international studies degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

Miami University - Oxford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,759 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Miami University - Oxford.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read full report on International Studies at Miami University - Oxford

#11

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 55 bachelors’s international studies degrees to qualified students.

UWM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,222 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.

Read full report on International Studies at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

#12

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Illinois College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois College is located in Jacksonville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s international studies degrees to qualified students.

Illinois College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois College is $11,376 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Illinois College International Studies Report

Case Western Reserve University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Case Western Reserve University is a fairly large school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 15 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Case Western not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $18,708 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Case Western Reserve University.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Case Western Reserve University International Studies Report

#14

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. WMU is a fairly large public school situated in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It awarded 21 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, WMU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,021 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Western Michigan University.

Read full report on International Studies at Western Michigan University

With a ranking of #15, Wright State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Dayton, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s international studies degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

Wright State University - Main Campus not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wright State University - Main Campus is $13,460 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on International Studies at Wright State University - Main Campus

#10 in overall quality

Baldwin Wallace University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Baldwin Wallace University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Berea, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Baldwin Wallace College also made our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $17,430 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Baldwin Wallace University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Baldwin Wallace College International Studies Report

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Bowling Green, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

BGSU also made our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is $14,521 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Bowling Green State University - Main Campus International Studies Report

#18

University of Dayton

Dayton, Ohio

With a ranking of #18, University of Dayton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UDayton is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Dayton, Ohio. It awarded 19 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UDayton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UDayton is $24,237 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, 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 91%.

Read full report on International Studies at UDayton

#19

Hope College

Holland, Michigan

Hope College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Hope is located in Holland, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s international studies degrees to qualified students.

Hope also took the #17 spot in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,113 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Hope.

The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Hope International Studies Report

#20

Valparaiso University

Valparaiso, Indiana
#18 in overall quality

Valparaiso University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Valparaiso, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s international studies students in 2019-2020.

Valpo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,588 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Valparaiso University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Studies at Valpo

#21

Capital University

Columbus, Ohio
#19 in overall quality

Capital University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Capital not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $18,881 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Capital.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Studies at Capital University

#22

Ohio Wesleyan University

Delaware, Ohio

Ohio Wesleyan University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Delaware, Ohio, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2019-2020.

OWU also made our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for OWU is $21,679 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The 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 student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Ohio Wesleyan University International Studies 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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Yerpo.

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