by our College Data Analytics TeamWith all of the options you have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take when you want to pursue a degree. At College Factual, we're committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our Best Master's Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking.
In This Year's Value Report:
Our analysis looked at 168 schools in the Great Lakes Region to determine which ones have the best value Master's Degree programs. Our ranking methodology focuses on different objective factors to make this determination of the best value schools. We explain more about what we look at and why we do so below.
Our Best Master's Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking is determined by first looking at the combined costs of average tuition, fees, and room and board before any aid is applied. In addition, the overall quality of a school is important to ensure a quality 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.
We go into more detail on these factors on 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:
Our 2024 rankings named Concordia University, Chicago the best value (no aid) school in the Great Lakes Region for students working on their master’s degree. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in River Forest, Illinois.
Not only is Concordia University, Chicago a great value, but it is also ranked #5 in Illinois for overall quality. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $19,808 a year.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ashland University. It ranked #2 on our 2024 Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region list. Ashland is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Ashland, Ohio.
Not only is Ashland University a great value, but it is also ranked #8 in Ohio for overall quality. The average cost without aid for the school is $17,912 per year for graduate students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Kettering University. It ranked #3 on our 2024 Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region list. Flint, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Kettering University is ranked #4 for quality in the state of Michigan. The average cost without aid for the school is $23,528 per year for graduate students.
Out of the 168 master’s degree schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Illinois State is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois.
Illinois State University has the honor of being ranked #11 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost without aid for the school is $21,919 per year for graduate students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wisconsin Lutheran College. It ranked #5 on our 2024 Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region list. Wisconsin Lutheran College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Lutheran College has the honor of being ranked #6 in Wisconsin for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost without aid for the school is $21,130 per year for graduate students.
Calvin University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the school is a small private not-for-profit institution.
Calvin University has the honor of being ranked #5 in Michigan for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost without aid for the school is $22,680 per year for graduate students.
Viterbo University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region list. Viterbo University is a small private not-for-profit school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Viterbo University is ranked #10 for quality in the state of Wisconsin. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $19,353 a year.
Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses landed the #8 spot on the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Trine is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Not only is Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses a great value, but it is also ranked #10 in Indiana for overall quality. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $19,926 a year.
Full Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses Value Report
landed the #9 spot on the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking.
The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $11,000 a year.
Indiana Wesleyan University landed the #10 spot on the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Indiana Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Marion, Indiana.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Indiana Wesleyan University is ranked #8 for quality in the state of Indiana. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $23,086 a year.
Cedarville University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Cedarville, Ohio.
Not only is Cedarville University a great value, but it is also ranked #15 in Ohio for overall quality. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $17,984 a year.
Aurora University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region list. Aurora is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Aurora, Illinois.
Aurora University has the honor of being ranked #8 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $24,798 a year.
Olivet Nazarene University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Bourbonnais, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Olivet Nazarene University is ranked #17 for quality in the state of Illinois. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $21,680 a year.
Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global landed the #14 spot on the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking. IWU is located in Marion, Indiana and has a fairly large student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global has the honor of being ranked #9 in Indiana for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost without aid for the school is $23,544 per year for graduate students.
Read full value report on Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global
Grace College and Theological Seminary came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Grace College and Theological Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school located in Winona Lake, Indiana.
Grace College and Theological Seminary has the honor of being ranked #15 in Indiana for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $18,030 a year.
Learn More About Value at Grace College and Theological Seminary
Columbia College Chicago ranked #16 on this year’s Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Columbia College Chicago is ranked #23 for quality in the state of Illinois. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $18,806 a year.
Mount Mary University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Mount Mary University has the honor of being ranked #3 in Wisconsin for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost without aid for the school is $27,072 per year for graduate students.
National Louis University did quite well in the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #18. NLU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, National Louis University is ranked #13 for quality in the state of Illinois. The average cost without aid for the school is $25,596 per year for graduate students.
Alverno College did quite well in the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #19. Alverno is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Alverno College has the honor of being ranked #14 in Wisconsin for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost without aid for the school is $19,172 per year for graduate students.
University of St Francis did quite well in the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. University of St Francis is a small private not-for-profit school located in Joliet, Illinois.
Not only is University of St Francis a great value, but it is also ranked #16 in Illinois for overall quality. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $24,049 a year.
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking. 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 #4 for quality in the state of Wisconsin. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $26,843 a year.
Learn More About Value at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
Spring Arbor University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Spring Arbor, Michigan.
Spring Arbor University has the honor of being ranked #18 in Michigan for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $18,839 a year.
Butler University landed the #23 spot on the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Butler is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Butler University has the honor of being ranked #6 in Indiana for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $29,635 a year.
Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #24. Central Michigan University is a fairly large public school located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.
Central Michigan University has the honor of being ranked #7 in Michigan for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $26,564 a year.
Carroll University landed the #25 spot on the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Carroll U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Carroll University is ranked #8 for quality in the state of Wisconsin. The average cost without aid for the school is $25,409 per year for graduate students.
Not only did these schools make the top 26 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
View Best Value Master’s Degree Schools (No Aid) Nationwide >
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These schools also performed well in our Best Master’s Degree Colleges for the Money in the Great Lakes Region ranking:
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | Ferris State University | Big Rapids, MI | Value Report |
| 28 | Xavier University | Cincinnati, OH | Value Report |
| 29 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | Edwardsville, IL | Value Report |
| 30 | Franciscan University of Steubenville | Steubenville, OH | Value Report |
| 31 | Herzing University - Madison | Madison, WI | Value Report |
| 32 | Marietta College | Marietta, OH | Value Report |
| 33 | Bradley University | Peoria, IL | Value Report |
| 34 | University of Wisconsin - Madison | Madison, WI | Value Report |
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.