2023 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Finding the Best Liberal Arts General Studies School for You
In 2020-2021, 556,813 degrees and certificates were awarded to liberal arts general studies students, making the major the most popular in the country.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 172 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for liberal arts majors pursuing a .
Top 25 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in Liberal Arts General Studies
Our 2023 rankings named Northwestern University the best school in the Great Lakes Region for liberal arts general studies students. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.
After completing their degree, liberal arts graduates from Northwestern carry an average student debtload of $17,905.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Flex. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the city of Milwaukee, UWM Flexible Option is a public school with a small student population.
Liberal Arts majors at UWM Flexible Option take out an average of $11,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Flex Report
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The excellent programs at University of Notre Dame helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best liberal arts general studies schools in the Great Lakes Region . Located in the large suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at Notre Dame accumulate an average of around $22,824 in student debt.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UW Oshkosh is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Oshkosh.
While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at UW Oshkosh accumulate an average of around $19,875 in student debt.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend DePaul University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the large city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.
Liberal Arts majors at DePaul take out an average of $41,162 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Macomb Community College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best liberal arts general studies programs. Macomb Community College is a large public school located in the city of Warren.
Liberal Arts majors at Macomb Community College take out an average of $8,250 in student loans while working on their egree.
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University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the large city of Milwaukee, UWM is a public school with a very large student population.
On average, liberal arts graduates from UWM take out $22,893 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $222.
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Western Illinois University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the town of Macomb, WIU is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at WIU accumulate an average of around $30,684 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $216, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Vincennes University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best liberal arts general studies programs. Vincennes University is a fairly large public school located in the remote town of Vincennes.
Liberal Arts majors at Vincennes University take out an average of $12,644 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $105.
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With a ranking of #10, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on this year’s best schools for liberal arts general studies students. Located in the city of Eau Claire, UW - Eau Claire is a public school with a large student population.
After completing their degree, liberal arts graduates from UW - Eau Claire carry an average student debtload of $17,949.
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Lincoln Land Community College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. LLCC is a small public school located in the midsize city of Springfield.
While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at LLCC accumulate an average of around $11,055 in student debt.
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Cuyahoga Community College District did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for liberal arts general studies students. It came in at #12 on the list. Cuyahoga Community College District is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Cleveland.
While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at Cuyahoga Community College District accumulate an average of around $12,000 in student debt.
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Xavier University landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best liberal arts general studies programs. Xavier is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Cincinnati.
On average, liberal arts graduates from Xavier take out $26,500 in student loans while working on their degree.
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University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best liberal arts general studies programs. Located in the city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Liberal Arts majors at U-M take out an average of $16,607 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Grand Rapids Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for liberal arts general studies students. It came in at #15 on the list. Grand Rapids Community College is a large public school located in the midsize city of Grand Rapids.
While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at Grand Rapids Community College accumulate an average of around $12,500 in student debt.
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William Rainey Harper College landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best liberal arts general studies programs. Located in the large suburb of Palatine, Harper College is a public school with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, liberal arts graduates from Harper College carry an average student debtload of $7,684.
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With a ranking of #17, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for liberal arts general studies students. Located in the city of Cincinnati, Cincinnati State is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at Cincinnati State take out is $14,666.
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Delta College landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best liberal arts general studies programs. Delta College is a medium-sized public school located in the rural area of University Center.
Liberal Arts majors at Delta College take out an average of $11,250 in student loans while working on their egree.
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University of Wisconsin - Green Bay came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW - Green Bay is a medium-sized public school located in the midsize city of Green Bay.
Liberal Arts majors at UW - Green Bay take out an average of $18,493 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Owens Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for liberal arts general studies students. It came in at #20 on the list. Owens State Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Perrysburg.
Liberal Arts majors at Owens State Community College take out an average of $20,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global ranked #21 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the rural area of Marion, IWU is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at IWU accumulate an average of around $25,511 in student debt.
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Waubonsee Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for liberal arts general studies students. It came in at #22 on the list. Waubonsee is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Sugar Grove.
Liberal Arts majors at Waubonsee take out an average of $7,250 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Ball State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the city of Muncie, Ball State is a public school with a very large student population.
Liberal Arts majors at Ball State take out an average of $20,000 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $151.
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University of Chicago did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for liberal arts general studies students. It came in at #24 on the list. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.
On average, liberal arts graduates from UChicago take out $14,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Ivy Tech Community College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the large city of Indianapolis, Ivy Tech Community College is a public college with a very large student population.
On average, liberal arts graduates from Ivy Tech Community College take out $10,905 in student loans while working on their degree.
Request InformationAdditional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great schools for Liberal Arts General Studies students in the Great Lakes Region that almost earned our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | Joliet Junior College | Joliet, IL |
| 27 | Baker College | Owosso, MI |
| 28 | Lakeland Community College | Kirtland, OH |
| 29 | Stark State College | North Canton, OH |
| 30 | Madison Area Technical College | Madison, WI |
| 30 | Southwestern Illinois College | Belleville, IL |
| 32 | University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | Stevens Point, WI |
| 33 | University of Southern Indiana | Evansville, IN |
| 34 | Grand Valley State University | Allendale, MI |
Best Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges by State
Explore the best liberal arts general studies colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 9,711 |
| Ohio | 11,432 |
| Illinois | 18,292 |
| Indiana | 3,815 |
| Wisconsin | 2,376 |
More Liberal Arts General Studies Rankings in the Great Lakes Region
Rankings in Majors Related to Liberal Arts
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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