2021 Best Colleges for the Money (With No Aid) in the Great Lakes Region
With all of the options you have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we're committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our Best Great Lakes Region Schools For The Money For Those With No Aid ranking.
Our analysis looked at 226 schools to determine which ones were the best for overall value for the money with no aid in the Great Lakes Region. It's important to note that this isn't just a listing of colleges and universities with the lowest sticker price. Instead, this ranking identifies schools that offer a high quality educational experience at a lower-than-expected price. Because of this, it is possible for one college to rank better than another, even if the latter college has a lower average cost.
Get more details on our ranking methodology.
To calculate the average cost amount, we sum up the total expenses to attend a school - such as tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies, and other living expenses. This estimate is meant to give you a better picture of how much money you'll have to pay each year, either through self-pay, loans, or external scholarships.
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Top Colleges for the Money (Without Aid) in the Great Lakes Region
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2021 rankings named University of Wisconsin - La Crosse the best school for overall value for the money with no aid in the Great Lakes Region for students working on their bachelor’s degree. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a fairly large public school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 2,211 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.5 years for the average student at UW - La Crosse to complete their degree, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $24,074 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from UW - La Crosse is $107,129. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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Out of the 226 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Grand Valley State University landed the #2 spot on the list. GVSU is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5,421 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at GVSU graduates in less than 4.5 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $29,175 for students who receive no aid. This means that the average student pays around $132,163 to get a bachelor’s degree from GVSU. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Out of the 226 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 7,568 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.4 years for the average student at Purdue to complete their degree, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $38,339. This means that the average student pays around $167,158 to get a bachelor’s degree from Purdue. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. Purdue excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region list.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #4 in the Great Lakes Region on this year’s best value ranking. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and has a large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 4,822 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes about 4.4 years for the average student at Illinois State to complete their degree, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $34,265 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Illinois State is $149,395. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. The school came in at #5 in the Great Lakes Region on this year’s best value ranking. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school situated in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It awarded 2,231 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At UW - Eau Claire, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.5 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $27,242 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from UW - Eau Claire is $122,861. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #6 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Great Lakes Region ranking. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and has a fairly large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 2,607 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at SIUE is 4.5 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $24,967 per year to attend the school. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from SIUE be around $112,851. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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Eastern Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 1,244 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at EIU is 4.4 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $26,001 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the EIU is $114,924. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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With a ranking of #8, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region list. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,927 students in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at UW - Stevens Point is 4.5 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $25,444 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from UW - Stevens Point is $115,007. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Ferris State University landed the #9 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ferris is a public institution located in Big Rapids, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,493 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.6 years for the average student at Ferris to complete their degree, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $23,959 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Ferris is $109,972. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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Hillsdale College did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #10. Hillsdale College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Hillsdale, Michigan. It awarded 403 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.1 years for the average student at Hillsdale College to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $42,958 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Hillsdale College is $176,128. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Hillsdale College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region list.
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University of Illinois at Springfield ranked #11 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region list. Springfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 680 students in 2018-2019.
At UIS, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.4 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $30,061 per year to attend the school. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from UIS is about $131,968. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh ranked #12 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region list. Oshkosh, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,151 students in 2018-2019.
The average student at UW Oshkosh graduates in less than 4.8 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $24,861. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from UW Oshkosh is $118,338. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Lake Superior State University landed the #13 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Lake Superior State University is a small public school situated in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan. It awarded 393 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.4 years for the average student at Lake Superior State University to complete their degree, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $25,535 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Lake Superior State University is $111,843. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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With a ranking of #14, University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - River Falls is a medium-sized public school situated in River Falls, Wisconsin. It awarded 1,267 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at UW - River Falls about 4.4 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $24,700 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the UW - River Falls is $109,174. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.
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University of Wisconsin - Stout did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, the medium-sized public school awarded 1,625 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
At UW - Stout, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.6 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $26,342 per year to attend the school. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from UW - Stout is $121,963. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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%.
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Franciscan University of Steubenville came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Steubenville, Ohio, and it awarded 509 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Franciscan U is 4.1 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $40,630 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Franciscan U is about $166,583. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Franciscan U also is in the top 20% of our Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region ranking.
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With a ranking of #17, Kettering College did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Kettering, Ohio, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 144 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Kettering College about 4.2 years to graduate, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $27,779. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Kettering College is $115,283. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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%.
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With a ranking of #18, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a fairly large public school located in Whitewater, Wisconsin that handed out 2,426 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At UW - Whitewater, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.5 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $25,363. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from UW - Whitewater be around $114,894. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Western Michigan University landed the #19 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, the large public school awarded 3,824 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.7 years for the average student at WMU to complete their degree, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $29,347. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from WMU is $137,637. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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With a ranking of #20, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region list. NIU is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 3,441 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At NIU, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.6 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $28,980 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from NIU is about $132,439. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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Western Illinois University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Macomb, Illinois, the medium-sized public school awarded 1,785 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
The average student at WIU graduates in less than 4.4 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $26,232. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from WIU is $116,470. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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Principia College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Elsah, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 119 students in 2018-2019.
At Principia, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.2 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $44,150 per year to attend the school. This means that the average student pays around $185,872 to get a bachelor’s degree from Principia. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
With a student-to-faculty rate of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Principia excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region list.
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Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, the fairly large public school handed out 4,343 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Central Michigan is 4.7 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $32,608. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan is $151,953. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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%.
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University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #24. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 8,983 students in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at UIUC about 4.2 years to graduate, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $46,366 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from UIUC is about $194,737. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. UIUC also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
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Mount Carmel College of Nursing came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 333 students in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Mount Carmel College of Nursing is 4.2 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $33,402. This means that the average student pays around $140,288 to get a bachelor’s degree from Mount Carmel College of Nursing. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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%.
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Not only did these schools make the top-ranked list, but they also landed in the upper 15% of this year’s ranking:
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Honorable Mentions
These schools also performed well in our Best Colleges for the Money ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 34 | Cedarville University | Cedarville, OH |
| 35 | University of Wisconsin - Platteville | Platteville, WI |
| 36 | Grace College and Theological Seminary | Winona Lake, IN |
| 37 | Bowling Green State University - Main Campus | Bowling Green, OH |
| 38 | University of Wisconsin - Madison | Madison, WI |
| 39 | Hope College | Holland, MI |
| 40 | Ashland University | Ashland, OH |
| 41 | Taylor University | Upland, IN |
| 42 | Michigan State University | East Lansing, MI |
| 43 | Wheaton College Illinois | Wheaton, IL |
| 44 | Miami University - Oxford | Oxford, OH |
| 45 | Kent State University at Kent | Kent, OH |
More Great Lakes Rankings
Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- For our state-specific rankings, we use in-state tuition to calculate average cost. For our national and regional rankings, we use a weighted average of in-state and non-resident tuition.
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%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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