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.
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2023 Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Check out the liberal arts programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.
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.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UWM Flexible Option are $6,750 per year. Liberal Arts majors at UWM Flexible Option take out an average of $11,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Flex
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Oakland Community College is a great value for liberal arts general studies students. Oakland Community College is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Bloomfield Hills.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Oakland Community College are $5,200 a year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at Oakland Community College take out is $12,585.
Out of the 172 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Wayne County Community College District landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the city of Detroit, WCCCD is a public college with a large student population.
WCCCD undergraduate students pay an average of $3,998 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at WCCCD take out is $18,083.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Wayne County Community College District
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southwestern Illinois College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the large suburb of Belleville, SWIC is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
SWIC undergraduate students pay an average of $5,940 in tuition and fees each year. Liberal Arts majors at SWIC take out an average of $8,405 in student loans while working on their egree.
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 fairly large public school located in the midsize 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.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Macomb Community College also did well on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Macomb Community College Report
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.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Delta College
With a ranking of #7, Madison Area Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for liberal arts general studies students. Madison College is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Madison.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Madison College are $6,769 per year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at Madison College take out is $14,750.
In addition to its great value ranking, Madison College is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
Glen Oaks Community College came in at #8 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 Centreville, GOCC is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at GOCC are $6,408 a year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at GOCC take out is $7,750.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Glen Oaks Community College Report
University of Akron Wayne College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for liberal arts general studies students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the rural area of Orrville, University of Akron Wayne College is a public school with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at University of Akron Wayne College are $6,505 per 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.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Akron Wayne College Report
Stark State College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value liberal arts general studies programs. Located in the large suburb of North Canton, Stark State College is a public school 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.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Stark State College Report
Cuyahoga Community College District came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Cuyahoga Community College District is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Cleveland.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cuyahoga Community College District are $8,586 per year. While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at Cuyahoga Community College District accumulate an average of around $12,000 in student debt.
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.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Schoolcraft College are $7,574 a year. Liberal Arts majors at Schoolcraft College take out an average of $10,444 in student loans while working on their egree.
Washtenaw Community College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the suburb of Ann Arbor, Washtenaw Community College is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Washtenaw Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,856 in tuition and fees each year. On average, liberal arts graduates from Washtenaw Community College take out $15,316 in student loans while working on their degree.
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 large city of Milwaukee, MATC is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MATC are $6,908 per year. Liberal Arts majors at MATC take out an average of $12,250 in student loans while working on their egree.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Milwaukee Area Technical College
Cincinnati State Technical and 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 #15 on the list. Located in the large city of Cincinnati, Cincinnati State is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Cincinnati State are $9,090 a 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.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College
With a ranking of #16, Black Hawk College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for liberal arts general studies students. Located in the city of Moline, BHC is a public college with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at BHC are $7,650 per year. Liberal Arts majors at BHC take out an average of $7,500 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Black Hawk College Report
Lincoln Land Community College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. LLCC is a small public school located in the 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.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Lincoln Land Community College
Ivy Tech Community College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the city of Indianapolis, Ivy Tech Community College is a public school with a very 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.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Ivy Tech Community College also did well on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Ivy Tech Community College Report
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.
Lakeland Community College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. 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.
Mott 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 #21 on the list. MCC is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Flint.
MCC undergraduate students pay an average of $7,091 in tuition and fees each year. On average, liberal arts graduates from MCC take out $17,081 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Mott Community College
Sinclair 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 #22 on the list. Located in the city of Dayton, Sinclair Community College is a public school with a fairly 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.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Sinclair Community College Report
Monroe County Community College landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value liberal arts general studies programs. 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.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Monroe County Community College
Owens Community College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Owens State Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Perrysburg.
Owens State Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $9,782 in tuition and fees each year. Liberal Arts majors at Owens State Community College take out an average of $20,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
With a ranking of #25, Edison State Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for liberal arts general studies students. Located in the rural area of Piqua, Edison Community College is a public school with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Edison Community College are $7,626 per year. While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at Edison Community College accumulate an average of around $14,306 in student debt.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Edison State Community College Report
Additional Noteworthy Schools
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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