by our College Data Analytics TeamIt's not easy to decide which school to attend when you have so many options available. College Factual has developed its Best Bachelor's Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region ranking as one thing you can use to help make this decision. The amount of financial aid you could receive at various schools, including some with high sticker prices, may surprise you.
See What's Included in This Value Report:
Our analysis looked at 213 schools in the Great Lakes Region to determine which ones have the best value Bachelor's Degree programs. To come up with this ranking of the best value schools, we look at factors that are all objective measurements. In the next few paragraphs, we'll talk a little about what we use in our analysis and why.
The first step of determing the value of a school in our Best Bachelor's Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region ranking is to look at the school's average net price for students with families that make $75-$110k a year. The net price is the sum of tuition, fees, and room and board minus any financial aid awarded to the student. But, a school that excels in providing value for your money must also be a great school overall as well.
To account for this we consider a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a collection of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Find out more about our best value ranking methodology.
Keep scrolling for the top schools in this ranking or select one of the other rankings methods below.
If you know what major you want to study, check out our list of the best value schools by major. If you're interested in other degree levels, you can view one of the lists below.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found University of Chicago to be the best value (income $75-$110k) school for bachelor’s degrees in the Great Lakes Region in this year’s ranking. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and has a fairly large student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
University of Chicago has the honor of being ranked #1 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $75-$110k per year is $13,648.
A rank of #2 on our Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region list means Purdue University - Main Campus is a great place for students working on their degree. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school located in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Purdue University - Main Campus has the honor of being ranked #2 in Indiana for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $75-$110k a year pay an annual average net price of $11,870.
The quality degree programs at Northwestern University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and has a large student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Northwestern University is ranked #2 for quality in the state of Illinois. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $75-$110k per year is $19,870.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #4 on our 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region list. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Michigan. Students from families who make $75-$110k a year pay an annual average net price of $18,938.
Learn More About Value at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
The quality degree programs at University of Notre Dame helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region. Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana.
University of Notre Dame has the honor of being ranked #1 in Indiana for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $75-$110k a year pay an annual average net price of $22,568.
Michigan State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region list. This large public school is located in East Lansing, Michigan.
Not only is Michigan State University a great value, but it is also ranked #2 in Michigan for overall quality. Students from families who make $75-$110k a year pay an annual average net price of $17,089.
University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #7 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and has a large student population. It is a public school.
University of Wisconsin - Madison has the honor of being ranked #1 in Wisconsin for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $75-$110k per year is $21,706.
With a ranking of #8, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region list. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Indiana University - Bloomington is ranked #3 for quality in the state of Indiana. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $75-$110k per year is $20,628.
With a ranking of #9, Michigan Technological University did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Houghton, Michigan, the school is a medium-sized public institution.
Not only is Michigan Technological University a great value, but it is also ranked #3 in Michigan for overall quality. Students from families who make $75-$110k a year pay an annual average net price of $17,629.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #10 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has the honor of being ranked #3 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $75-$110k a year pay an annual average net price of $22,555.
Learn More About Value at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
With a ranking of #11, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - La Crosse is a fairly large public school situated in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is ranked #3 for quality in the state of Wisconsin. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $75-$110k per year is $16,521.
Read full value report on University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #12. UIC is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Illinois at Chicago is ranked #7 for quality in the state of Illinois. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $75-$110k per year is $17,399.
Indiana University - Southeast came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small public school is located in New Albany, Indiana.
Not only is Indiana University - Southeast a great value, but it is also ranked #26 in Indiana for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $75-$110k per year is $11,262.
Indiana University - Kokomo did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. Indiana University - Kokomo is a small public school located in Kokomo, Indiana.
Not only is Indiana University - Kokomo a great value, but it is also ranked #37 in Indiana for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $75-$110k per year is $10,597.
Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #15 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school located in Columbus, Ohio.
Ohio State University - Main Campus has the honor of being ranked #1 in Ohio for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $75-$110k a year pay an annual average net price of $22,494.
Learn More About Value at Ohio State University - Main Campus
University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #16 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - River Falls is located in River Falls, Wisconsin and has a medium-sized student population. It is a public school.
Not only is University of Wisconsin - River Falls a great value, but it is also ranked #6 in Wisconsin for overall quality. Students from families who make $75-$110k a year pay an annual average net price of $16,474.
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #17 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region list. IUPUI is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis has the honor of being ranked #7 in Indiana for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $75-$110k a year pay an annual average net price of $17,776.
Learn More About Value at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #18 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Whitewater is a public institution located in Whitewater, Wisconsin.
Not only is University of Wisconsin - Whitewater a great value, but it is also ranked #5 in Wisconsin for overall quality. Students from families who make $75-$110k a year pay an annual average net price of $17,307.
Read full value report on University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
University of Michigan - Dearborn came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Dearborn, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
University of Michigan - Dearborn has the honor of being ranked #16 in Michigan for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $75-$110k a year pay an annual average net price of $16,251.
With a ranking of #20, Oakland University did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region list. Oakland is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Oakland University is ranked #8 for quality in the state of Michigan. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $75-$110k per year is $17,603.
Indiana University - Northwest landed the #21 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Indiana University - Northwest is a small public school located in Gary, Indiana.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Indiana University - Northwest is ranked #35 for quality in the state of Indiana. Students from families who make $75-$110k a year pay an annual average net price of $11,864.
Central Michigan University landed the #22 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Central Michigan is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Central Michigan University is ranked #9 for quality in the state of Michigan. Students from families who make $75-$110k a year pay an annual average net price of $17,623.
Ball State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ball State is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana.
Not only is Ball State University a great value, but it is also ranked #6 in Indiana for overall quality. Students from families who make $75-$110k a year pay an annual average net price of $19,090.
With a ranking of #24, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Eau Claire is a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Not only is University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire a great value, but it is also ranked #4 in Wisconsin for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $75-$110k per year is $19,020.
Learn More About Value at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
With a ranking of #25, DePauw University did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region list. Greencastle, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.
DePauw University has the honor of being ranked #5 in Indiana for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $75-$110k a year pay an annual average net price of $21,254.
Not only did these schools make the top 32 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
View Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Schools (Income $75-$110k) Nationwide >
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These schools also performed well in our Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region ranking:
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | Wayne State University | Detroit, MI | Value Report |
| 34 | Governors State University | University Park, IL | Value Report |
| 35 | Northern Illinois University | Dekalb, IL | Value Report |
| 36 | University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | Stevens Point, WI | Value Report |
| 37 | Purdue University Northwest | Hammond, IN | Value Report |
| 38 | University of Wisconsin - Stout | Menomonie, WI | Value Report |
| 39 | Indiana University - South Bend | South Bend, IN | Value Report |
| 40 | University of St Francis | Joliet, IL | Value Report |
| 41 | Miami University - Middletown | Middletown, OH | Value Report |
| 42 | University of Wisconsin - Green Bay | Green Bay, WI | Value Report |
| 43 | University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh | Oshkosh, WI | Value Report |
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.