by our College Data Analytics TeamThere are lots of options to choose from today when trying to decide which school to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our Best Bachelor's Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Great Lakes Region ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard. Due to the amount of income-based financial aid available, many 'high-priced' schools are more affordable than you think.
In This Year's Value Report:
Our analysis looked at 219 schools in the Great Lakes Region to determine which ones have the best value Bachelor's Degree programs. Our ranking for the best value schools is based on objective factors. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another. More specifically, the following explains what we consider and why.
To calculate the value of a school in our Best Bachelor's Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Great Lakes Region ranking, we first consider its average net price, which is the sum of room and board, tuition, and fees minus any financial aid that that the student receives. In addition, the overall quality of a school is important to ensure a good education, not just how much it costs.
To make it into this list a school must offer a quality education like the schools in our Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considers factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
To learn more, visit our best value ranking methodology page.
You can scroll down to see the top schools for this ranking, but you may also want to view some of the other ranking methods listed below.
Know what field you want to major in? Make sure you check out our best value schools by major. In addition, you can select one of the links below to see the best value colleges for other degree levels.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Michigan State University tops this year’s ranking as the best value (with aid) school for bachelor’s degrees in the Great Lakes Region for overall quality. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, the school is a large public institution.
Michigan State University has the honor of being ranked #2 in Michigan for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $8,738 a year.
Out of the 219 bachelor’s degree schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, landed the #2 spot on the list.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #3 on our 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Great Lakes Region list. This large public school is located in Madison, Wisconsin.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Wisconsin - Madison is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Wisconsin. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $13,484 a year.
The quality degree programs at Indiana University - Bloomington helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Great Lakes Region. This large public school is 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 net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $13,386 a year.
Out of the 219 bachelor’s degree schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #5 spot on the list. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois.
Not only is University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign a great value, but it is also ranked #3 in Illinois for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $14,272.
Learn More About Value at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. This large public school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Purdue University - Main Campus is ranked #2 for quality in the state of Indiana. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $14,619.
With a ranking of #7, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the school is a large public institution.
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor has the honor of being ranked #1 in Michigan for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $19,205 a year.
University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois.
University of Illinois at Chicago has the honor of being ranked #7 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $10,725 a year.
Indiana University - Kokomo came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Kokomo, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Indiana University - Kokomo is ranked #37 for quality in the state of Indiana. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $4,446.
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is ranked #7 for quality in the state of Indiana. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $11,550 a year.
Full Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Value Report
Indiana University - Southeast ranked #11 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Great Lakes Region list. Indiana University - Southeast is located in New Albany, Indiana and has a small student population. It is a public school.
Indiana University - Southeast has the honor of being ranked #26 in Indiana for overall quality on top of being a good value. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $6,344.
With a ranking of #12, Indiana University - Northwest did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Great Lakes Region list. This small public school is 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. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $5,625 a year.
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #13 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, the school is a fairly large public institution.
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse has the honor of being ranked #3 in Wisconsin for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $12,904 a year.
Ball State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Great Lakes Region list. Ball State University is a large public school located in Muncie, Indiana.
Not only is Ball State University a great value, but it is also ranked #6 in Indiana for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $12,968 a year.
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #15 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) 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. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $12,754.
Read full value report on University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
With a ranking of #16, Purdue University Northwest did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Great Lakes Region list. This medium-sized public school is located in Hammond, Indiana.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Purdue University Northwest is ranked #23 for quality in the state of Indiana. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $8,472.
University of Michigan - Dearborn landed the #17 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UM Dearborn is located in Dearborn, Michigan and has a medium-sized student population. 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. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $11,818.
Indiana University - East landed the #18 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Great Lakes Region ranking. IU East is a small public school situated in Richmond, Indiana.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Indiana University - East is ranked #34 for quality in the state of Indiana. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $8,102.
With a ranking of #19, Indiana University - South Bend did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Great Lakes Region list. Indiana University - South Bend is located in South Bend, Indiana and has a small student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Indiana University - South Bend is ranked #33 for quality in the state of Indiana. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $8,189 a year.
Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #20 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Columbus, Ohio, the school is a large public institution.
Not only is Ohio State University - Main Campus a great value, but it is also ranked #1 in Ohio for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $19,474.
Read full value report on Ohio State University - Main Campus
Western Illinois University landed the #21 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized public school located in Macomb, Illinois.
Not only is Western Illinois University a great value, but it is also ranked #26 in Illinois for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $11,666.
Michigan Technological University landed the #22 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Michigan Tech is located in Houghton, Michigan and has a medium-sized student population. It is a public school.
Not only is Michigan Technological University a great value, but it is also ranked #3 in Michigan for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $17,826 a year.
Northern Illinois University landed the #23 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large public school is located in Dekalb, Illinois.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Northern Illinois University is ranked #16 for quality in the state of Illinois. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $13,265.
Oakland University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, the school is a fairly large public institution.
Not only is Oakland University a great value, but it is also ranked #8 in Michigan for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $14,316.
Chicago State University did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #25. CSU is located in Chicago, Illinois and has a small student population. It is a public school.
Not only is Chicago State University a great value, but it is also ranked #47 in Illinois for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $4,846 a year.
Not only did these schools make the top 33 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
View Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Schools (With Aid) Nationwide >
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These schools also performed well in our Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Great Lakes Region ranking:
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | Stevens Point, WI | Value Report |
| 35 | Grand Valley State University | Allendale, MI | Value Report |
| 36 | University of Wisconsin - Platteville | Platteville, WI | Value Report |
| 37 | Youngstown State University | Youngstown, OH | Value Report |
| 38 | University of Wisconsin - Stout | Menomonie, WI | Value Report |
| 39 | University of Wisconsin - Superior | Superior, WI | Value Report |
| 40 | Saint Xavier University | Chicago, IL | Value Report |
| 41 | Purdue University Fort Wayne | Fort Wayne, IN | Value Report |
| 42 | Central Michigan University | Mount Pleasant, MI | Value Report |
| 43 | Southern Illinois University Carbondale | Carbondale, IL | Value Report |
| 44 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | Edwardsville, IL | Value Report |
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.