2023 Best Value Information Science Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Information Science Master's Degree School for You
Information Science is the #57 most popular major in the country with 18,325 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Information Science Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This report analyzed 16 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which ones offered the best value master's degree programs for IS students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Featured IS Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
BS in Computer Information Systems
Use technology to drive crucial business strategies with the online BS in Computer Information Systems program at Southern New Hampshire University.
Top 10 Best Information Science Master's Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign the best value school in the Great Lakes Region for information science students working on their master’s degree. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public school with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at UIUC are $30,862 a year.
UIUC also made our Best Information Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list, coming in at #5.
Full Information Science at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Report
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The excellent master’s degree programs at University of Akron Main Campus helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value information science schools in the Great Lakes Region . Located in the midsize city of Akron, University of Akron Main Campus is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at University of Akron Main Campus are $11,936 per year.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend DePaul University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Information Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the large city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
DePaul graduate students pay an average of $18,341 in tuition and fees each year.
Full Information Science at DePaul University Report
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The excellent master’s degree programs at Marquette University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value information science schools in the Great Lakes Region . Marquette is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Milwaukee.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Marquette are $21,960 per year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Marquette also is in the top 10% of our Best Information Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking.
Read full report on Information Science at Marquette University
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Cleveland State University is a great value for information science students working on their master’s degree. Cleveland State University is a large public school located in the large city of Cleveland.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Cleveland State University are $18,051 a year.
Read full report on Information Science at Cleveland State University
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Bradley University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Information Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the city of Peoria, Bradley is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Bradley are $17,400 per year.
Full Information Science at Bradley University Report
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University of Michigan - Dearborn landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree information science programs. Located in the midsize city of Dearborn, UM Dearborn is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at UM Dearborn are $25,552 per year.
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Northwestern University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree information science programs. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Northwestern are $56,567 a year.
Northwestern also made our Best Information Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list, coming in at #1.
Read full report on Information Science at Northwestern University
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With a ranking of #9, Ball State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for information science students working on their master’s degree. Located in the small city of Muncie, Ball State is a public school with a very large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Ball State are $26,600 per year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Ball State also did well on our Best Information Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Kent State University at Kent ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Information Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Kent State is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Kent.
Kent State graduate students pay an average of $21,952 in tuition and fees each year.
Full Information Science at Kent State University at Kent Report
Request InformationBest Information Science Colleges by State
Explore the best information science schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 493 |
| Ohio | 275 |
| Illinois | 799 |
| Indiana | 280 |
| Wisconsin | 255 |
More Information Science Rankings in the Great Lakes Region
Other Related IS Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
BS in Computer Information Systems
Use technology to drive crucial business strategies with the online BS in Computer Information Systems program at Southern New Hampshire University.
AS in Information Technologies
Gain the specialized knowledge and critical-thinking skills required to begin a career in tech with this online associate degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
BA in Information Technologies
Gain a well-rounded education while preparing for a career in IT with this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
Information Science Related Majors for IS
One of 10 majors within the area of study, information science has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Majors Related to IS
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Computer Information Systems | 88,434 |
| Computer Science | 59,565 |
| Information Technology | 40,555 |
| Computer Systems Networking | 14,700 |
| Computer Software & Applications | 14,336 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 16 schools only.
- 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to The Opte Project.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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