2023 Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
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 assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This report analyzed 172 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which ones offered the best value programs for liberal arts students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. 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.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 25 Best Great Lakes Region Schools for Affordable Quality in Liberal Arts General Studies
Our 2023 rankings named University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Flex the best value school in the Great Lakes Region for liberal arts general studies students. Located in the large city of Milwaukee, UWM Flexible Option is a public college with a small student population.
UWM Flexible Option undergraduate students pay an average of $6,750 in tuition and fees each year. Liberal Arts majors at UWM Flexible Option take out an average of $11,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
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The excellent programs at Oakland Community College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best liberal arts general studies schools in the Great Lakes Region . Oakland Community College is a large public school located in the large suburb of Bloomfield Hills.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Oakland Community College are $5,200 per year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at Oakland Community College take out is $12,585.
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The excellent programs at Wayne County Community College District 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 city of Detroit, WCCCD is a public college with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at WCCCD are $3,998 a year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at WCCCD take out is $18,083.
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The excellent programs at Southwestern Illinois College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best liberal arts general studies schools in the Great Lakes Region . Located in the suburb of Belleville, SWIC is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SWIC are $5,940 per year. Liberal Arts majors at SWIC take out an average of $8,405 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Out of the 172 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Macomb Community College landed the # 5 spot on the list. Macomb Community College is a large public school located in the city of Warren.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Macomb Community College are $7,680 a year. Liberal Arts majors at Macomb Community College take out an average of $8,250 in student loans while working on their egree.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Macomb Community College also is in the top 20% of our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking.
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Delta College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value liberal arts general studies programs. Delta College is a medium-sized public school located in the rural area of University Center.
Delta College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,100 in tuition and fees each year. 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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Madison Area Technical College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Madison College is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Madison.
Madison College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,769 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at Madison College take out is $14,750.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Madison College also did well on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Glen Oaks Community College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value liberal arts general studies programs. Located in the rural area of Centreville, GOCC is a public school with a small student population.
GOCC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,408 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at GOCC take out is $7,750.
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With a ranking of #9, University of Akron Wayne College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for liberal arts general studies students. Located in the rural area of Orrville, University of Akron Wayne College is a public college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at University of Akron Wayne College are $6,505 a year. While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at University of Akron Wayne College accumulate an average of around $30,625 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $302, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #10, Stark State College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for liberal arts general studies students. Located in the large suburb of North Canton, Stark State College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Stark State College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,406 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, liberal arts graduates from Stark State College carry an average student debtload of $16,375.
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Cuyahoga Community College District did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for liberal arts general studies students. It came in at #11 on the list. Cuyahoga Community College District is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Cleveland.
Cuyahoga Community College District undergraduate students pay an average of $8,586 in tuition and fees each year. 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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Schoolcraft College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Schoolcraft College is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Livonia.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Schoolcraft College are $7,574 per year. Liberal Arts majors at Schoolcraft College take out an average of $10,444 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Washtenaw Community College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the suburb of Ann Arbor, Washtenaw Community College is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Washtenaw Community College are $5,856 per year. On average, liberal arts graduates from Washtenaw Community College take out $15,316 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Milwaukee Area Technical College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the city of Milwaukee, MATC is a public college with a fairly large student population.
MATC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,908 in tuition and fees each year. Liberal Arts majors at MATC take out an average of $12,250 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Cincinnati State Technical and Community College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the large city of Cincinnati, Cincinnati State is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Cincinnati State undergraduate students pay an average of $9,090 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at Cincinnati State take out is $14,666.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Cincinnati State also is in the top 20% of our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking.
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Black Hawk College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for liberal arts general studies students. It came in at #16 on the list. Located in the city of Moline, BHC is a public college with a small student population.
BHC undergraduate students pay an average of $7,650 in tuition and fees each year. Liberal Arts majors at BHC take out an average of $7,500 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Lincoln Land Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for liberal arts general studies students. It came in at #16 on the list. LLCC is a small public school located in the medium-sized city of Springfield.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at LLCC are $10,068 a year. While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at LLCC accumulate an average of around $11,055 in student debt.
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Ivy Tech Community College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the city of Indianapolis, Ivy Tech Community College is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Ivy Tech Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,927 in tuition and fees each year. On average, liberal arts graduates from Ivy Tech Community College take out $10,905 in student loans while working on their degree.
Ivy Tech Community College also claimed a spot on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
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Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value 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 college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at IWU are $9,239 per year. While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at IWU accumulate an average of around $25,511 in student debt.
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With a ranking of #20, Lakeland Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for liberal arts general studies students. Lakeland is a small public school located in the suburb of Kirtland.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Lakeland are $8,975 per year. On average, liberal arts graduates from Lakeland take out $11,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Mott Community College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. MCC is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Flint.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at MCC are $7,091 a year. On average, liberal arts graduates from MCC take out $17,081 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Sinclair Community College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the city of Dayton, Sinclair Community College is a public school with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Sinclair Community College are $8,076 a year. After completing their degree, liberal arts graduates from Sinclair Community College carry an average student debtload of $12,000.
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Monroe County Community College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Monroe County Community College is a small public school located in the rural area of Monroe.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Monroe County Community College are $7,760 a year. On average, liberal arts graduates from Monroe County Community College take out $13,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Owens Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for liberal arts general studies students. It came in at #24 on the list. Owens State Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the large suburb of Perrysburg.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Owens State Community College are $9,782 a year. 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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Edison State Community College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the rural area of Piqua, Edison Community College is a public school with a small student population.
Edison Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,626 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at Edison Community College accumulate an average of around $14,306 in student debt.
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These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | Waubonsee Community College | Sugar Grove, IL |
| 28 | Elgin Community College | Elgin, IL |
| 29 | Henry Ford College | Dearborn, MI |
| 30 | Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Kalamazoo, MI |
| 31 | Ohio University - Eastern Campus | Saint Clairsville, OH |
| 32 | Marion Technical College | Marion, OH |
| 33 | Shawnee Community College | Ullin, IL |
| 34 | Clark State Community College | Springfield, OH |
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
Liberal Arts General Studies Related Majors for Liberal Arts
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 26 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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