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

25 Ranked Colleges
1,116 Degrees Awarded
$13,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 10,015 people earned their degree in philosophy, making the major the 81st most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, philosophy graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,067 and had an average of $22,199 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,345 philosophy graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,833 and $23,925 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,116 philosophy graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 25 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in philosophy. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent philosophy programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the philosophy program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The philosophy 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 Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Philosophy (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $1,866 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Northwestern University Philosophy Report

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 70 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $2,712 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UChicago.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of Chicago

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 36 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $3,166 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Philosophy Report

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Philosophy 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 - Madison landed the #4 spot on the list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 54 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $4,367 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Philosophy at University of Wisconsin - Madison

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Philosophy 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 Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 29 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $5,477 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full UIUC Philosophy Report

#6

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 30 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k list, Notre Dame has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Philosophy 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 Philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Notre Dame Philosophy Report

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.

Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $8,194 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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 more about Philosophy at Ohio State

#8

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#18 in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 12 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $4,969 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, 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 Philosophy at IU Bloomington

#9

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Stevens Point, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $11,446 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Philosophy Report

#10

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Grand Valley State University is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k list, GVSU has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Philosophy 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 Philosophy 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%.

Full Grand Valley State University Philosophy Report

#11

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. This small school is located in Wheaton, Illinois, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $18,440 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Wheaton College Illinois Philosophy Report

#12

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

Illinois State also took the #11 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $14,470 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy 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%.

Read more about Philosophy at Illinois State University

#13

Hanover College

Hanover, Indiana

Hanover College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Hanover is located in Hanover, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

Hanover also took the #14 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Hanover is $16,539 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Hanover College Philosophy Report

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a public institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,078 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus.

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

Read full report on Philosophy at UC

#15

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UWM is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UWM, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UWM is $13,222 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

With a ranking of #16, Kent State University at Kent did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Kent State is located in Kent, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Kent State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Kent State is $13,915 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Kent State University at Kent Philosophy Report

#17

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan
#24 in overall quality

Central Michigan University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Central Michigan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan University is $11,598 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Central Michigan University Philosophy Report

Franciscan University of Steubenville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Franciscan University of Steubenville is a private not-for-profit institution located in Steubenville, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k list, Franciscan U has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $18,799 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Franciscan U.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Franciscan U

#19

Marquette University

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Marquette University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Marquette, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Marquette is $19,169 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Philosophy at Marquette University

#20

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k list, WMU has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Michigan University is $13,021 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full WMU Philosophy Report

#21

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lake Forest College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lake Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Lake Forest College is $18,192 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy 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%.

Read more about Philosophy at Lake Forest

#22

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

Eastern Michigan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,904 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Eastern Michigan University.

Full Eastern Michigan University Philosophy Report

#23

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Elmhurst, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst also took the #23 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst University is $16,903 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Elmhurst University Philosophy Report

#24

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 17 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

DePaul also took the #19 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend DePaul is $26,173 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 Philosophy at DePaul

#25

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Loyola University Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 18 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Chicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $29,440 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Loyola Chicago.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Philosophy at Loyola University Chicago

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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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