2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2019-2020, 48,831 people earned their degree in economics, making the major the 18th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, economics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $47,295 and had an average of $21,978 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 6,771 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $45,903 and $22,924 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,709 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 99 colleges that offer a degree in economics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent economics 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 economics program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid.
Top 26 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Economics in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Out of the 99 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 490 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,880 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid per year to attend UIUC.
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 2.4% 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 566 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid list, UW - Madison has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $17,708 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.
Out of the 99 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 586 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.
U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $15,336 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Economics at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 107 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid list, Purdue has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $13,986 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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 93%.
Read full report on Economics at Purdue University - Main Campus
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 133 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $13,253 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.
With a ranking of #6, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - La Crosse is a public institution located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - La Crosse, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - La Crosse is $14,580 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%.
University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is located in River Falls, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - River Falls, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $13,748 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.
University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 99 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,312 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 57 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for UW Oshkosh is $15,463 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $15,249 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.
Michigan State University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Michigan State University is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 316 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid list, Michigan State has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $19,173 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Springfield.
Read more about Economics at University of Illinois at Springfield
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - Green Bay is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend UW - Green Bay is $14,395 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.
Read full report on Economics at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $16,020 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 24 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $11,285 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.
Read full report on Economics at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis
University of Wisconsin - Parkside came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Kenosha, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,327 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid per year to attend UW - Parkside.
Northwestern University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 338 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $24,664 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.
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 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 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.
With a ranking of #18, Ball State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Ball State is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $15,147 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.
Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 304 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid list, Ohio State has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $17,616 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. UW - Stevens Point is a public institution located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $14,465 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.
Full University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Economics Report
University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. University of Michigan - Dearborn is located in Dearborn, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $11,473 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid per year to attend University of Michigan - Dearborn.
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 Economics at University of Michigan - Dearborn
Indiana University - Southeast landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in New Albany, Indiana, this small public school awarded 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Southeast is $10,657 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.
Read full report on Economics at Indiana University - Southeast
With a ranking of #23, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 71 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is $17,876 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.
With a ranking of #24, University of Southern Indiana did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Southern Indiana is located in Evansville, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern Indiana is $13,437 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.
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%.
Eastern Illinois University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Charleston, Illinois. It awarded 3 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $14,607 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.
With a ranking of #25, University of Notre Dame did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, and it awarded 243 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
Notre Dame also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $33,025 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree economics students with aid per year to attend Notre Dame.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%.
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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 pixabay.
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