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 Associate Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking as one thing you can use to help make this decision.
See What's Included in This Value Report:
We analyzed 200 schools across the Great Lakes Region to determine which have the best value Associate Degree programs. To come up with this ranking of the best value schools, we look at factors that are all objective measurements. We explain more about what we look at and why we do so below.
To determine the value of a school in our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking, we first add average tuition, fees, and room and board costs (without aid) together. 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 include a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
We go into more detail on these factors on our best value ranking methodology page.
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:
Northcentral Technical College tops this year’s ranking as the best value (no aid) school for associate degrees in the Great Lakes Region for overall quality. This medium-sized public school is located in Wausau, Wisconsin.
Northcentral Technical College has the honor of being ranked #4 in Wisconsin for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $11,855 a year.
A rank of #2 on our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region list means Eastern Gateway Community College is a great place for students working on their degree. Eastern Gateway Community College is a public institution located in Steubenville, Ohio.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Eastern Gateway Community College is ranked #5 for quality in the state of Ohio. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $11,622 a year.
Out of the 200 associate degree schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Northwestern Ohio landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Northwestern Ohio is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lima, Ohio.
University of Northwestern Ohio has the honor of being ranked #2 in Ohio for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $18,519 a year.
A rank of #4 on our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region list means Western Technical College is a great place for students working on their degree. La Crosse, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Not only is Western Technical College a great value, but it is also ranked #1 in Wisconsin for overall quality. The average cost without aid for the school is $13,659 a year for undergraduates.
A rank of #5 on our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region list means Chippewa Valley Technical College is a great place for students working on their degree. CVTC is a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Chippewa Valley Technical College has the honor of being ranked #2 in Wisconsin for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $14,527 a year.
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region list. Cincinnati, Ohio is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Not only is Cincinnati State Technical and Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #4 in Ohio for overall quality. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $14,220 a year.
Read full value report on Cincinnati State Technical and Community College
With a ranking of #7, Gateway Technical College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region list. Gateway Technical College is a medium-sized public school situated in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Gateway Technical College has the honor of being ranked #7 in Wisconsin for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost without aid for the school is $14,647 a year for undergraduates.
Macomb Community College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region list. Macomb Community College is a fairly large public school located in Warren, Michigan.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Macomb Community College is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Michigan. The average cost without aid for the school is $15,850 a year for undergraduates.
Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. Marion, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Not only is Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global a great value, but it is also ranked #2 in Indiana for overall quality. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $22,343 a year.
Read full value report on Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global
Fox Valley Technical College landed the #10 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking. FVTC is a fairly large public school situated in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Not only is Fox Valley Technical College a great value, but it is also ranked #8 in Wisconsin for overall quality. The average cost without aid for the school is $14,705 a year for undergraduates.
did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #11.
The average cost without aid for the school is $11,000 a year for undergraduates.
Waukesha County Technical College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking. WCTC is located in Pewaukee, Wisconsin and has a medium-sized student population. It is a public school.
Not only is Waukesha County Technical College a great value, but it is also ranked #11 in Wisconsin for overall quality. The average cost without aid for the school is $14,447 a year for undergraduates.
Elgin Community College landed the #13 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking. ECC is a medium-sized public school situated in Elgin, Illinois.
Not only is Elgin Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #6 in Illinois for overall quality. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $15,141 a year.
Ivy Tech Community College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, the school is a large public institution.
Not only is Ivy Tech Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #6 in Indiana for overall quality. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $16,735 a year.
Sinclair Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. This fairly large public school is located in Dayton, Ohio.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Sinclair Community College is ranked #10 for quality in the state of Ohio. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $13,440 a year.
Lakeshore Technical College landed the #16 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking. LTC is located in Cleveland, Wisconsin and has a small student population. It is a public school.
Not only is Lakeshore Technical College a great value, but it is also ranked #14 in Wisconsin for overall quality. The average cost without aid for the school is $13,900 a year for undergraduates.
Milwaukee Area Technical College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the school is a fairly large public institution.
Not only is Milwaukee Area Technical College a great value, but it is also ranked #13 in Wisconsin for overall quality. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $14,747 a year.
Madison Area Technical College landed the #18 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Madison Area Technical College has the honor of being ranked #5 in Wisconsin for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost without aid for the school is $21,009 a year for undergraduates.
With a ranking of #19, Southwest Wisconsin Technical College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Fennimore, Wisconsin, the school is a small public institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Southwest Wisconsin Technical College is ranked #15 for quality in the state of Wisconsin. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $14,527 a year.
Learn More About Value at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region list. NWTC is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin and has a fairly large student population. It is a public school.
Not only is Northeast Wisconsin Technical College a great value, but it is also ranked #16 in Wisconsin for overall quality. The average cost without aid for the school is $14,649 a year for undergraduates.
Read full value report on Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
College of Lake County landed the #21 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking. College of Lake County is a public institution located in Grayslake, Illinois.
College of Lake County has the honor of being ranked #1 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost without aid for the school is $23,380 a year for undergraduates.
With a ranking of #21, Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region list. WITC is a public institution located in Shell Lake, Wisconsin.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College is ranked #17 for quality in the state of Wisconsin. The average cost without aid for the school is $14,804 a year for undergraduates.
Learn More About Value at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College
Blackhawk Technical College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #23. BTC is located in Janesville, Wisconsin and has a small student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Blackhawk Technical College is ranked #18 for quality in the state of Wisconsin. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $14,527 a year.
Rasmussen University - Illinois landed the #24 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small private for-profit school is located in Rockford, Illinois.
Not only is Rasmussen University - Illinois a great value, but it is also ranked #2 in Illinois for overall quality. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $22,604 a year.
Oakland Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #25. Oakland Community College is located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and has a fairly large student population. It is a public school.
Not only is Oakland Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #8 in Michigan for overall quality. The average cost without aid for the school is $13,160 a year for undergraduates.
Not only did these schools make the top 31 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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These schools also performed well in our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking:
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | Ferris State University | Big Rapids, MI | Value Report |
| 33 | South Suburban College | South Holland, IL | Value Report |
| 34 | James A Rhodes State College | Lima, OH | Value Report |
| 35 | Lincoln Land Community College | Springfield, IL | Value Report |
| 36 | Mid-State Technical College | Wisconsin Rapids, WI | Value Report |
| 37 | City Colleges of Chicago - Olive-Harvey College | Chicago, IL | Value Report |
| 38 | Danville Area Community College | Danville, IL | Value Report |
| 39 | Oakton Community College | Des Plaines, IL | Value Report |
| 40 | Central Ohio Technical College | Newark, OH | Value Report |
| 41 | Lansing Community College | Lansing, MI | Value Report |
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.