2023 Best Value Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Prices
With all the nursing programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools and bootcamps that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
The Best Value Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking is one of many tools that Nursing Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 143 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best value experiences for nursing students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
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Top Value Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region of the U.S.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Flex the best value school in the Great Lakes Region for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. UWM Flexible Option is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and has a very small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 57 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
UWM Flexible Option undergraduate students pay an average of $6,750 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $30,560 in student loans.
UWM Flexible Option is primarily an online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
UWM Flexible Option not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Ottawa University - Milwaukee helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value nursing schools in the Great Lakes Region . Located in Brookfield, Wisconsin, the very small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Ottawa University - Milwaukee are $12,616 a year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $31,813 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Ottawa University - Milwaukee is primarily an online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
Ottawa University - Milwaukee also took the #2 spot in our Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region rankings.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global is a great place for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree who want the most bang for their educational buck. Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in Marion, Indiana that handed out 469 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at IWU are $9,239 a year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $36,251 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at IWU. During the 2019-2020 year, about 94% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Purdue University Northwest. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Hammond, Indiana, the medium-sized public school awarded 581 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Purdue Northwest undergraduate students pay an average of $14,349 in tuition and fees each year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $27,454 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Purdue Northwest does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 66% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Purdue Northwest also did well on our Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a great place for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree who want the most bang for their educational buck. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 434 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at SIUE are $11,496 a year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $24,579 in student loans.
Online courses are available at SIUE, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2019-2020 year, about 98% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large public school is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and it awarded 269 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at UW Oshkosh are $15,306 a year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $24,363 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at UW Oshkosh. During the 2019-2020 year, about 64% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
In addition to its great value ranking, UW Oshkosh is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
Central Michigan University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, the fairly large public school handed out 9 bachelor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Central Michigan are $13,094 a year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $29,288 in student loans.
Online courses are available at Central Michigan, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 36% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, the fairly large public school awarded 141 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
UW - Eau Claire undergraduate students pay an average of $17,149 in tuition and fees each year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $22,216 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at UW - Eau Claire, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 81% took at least some of their classes online.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, UW - Eau Claire is ranked #4 for overall quality in the Great Lakes Region .
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a medium-sized public school located in Green Bay, Wisconsin that handed out 107 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Green Bay undergraduate students pay an average of $16,091 in tuition and fees each year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $24,747 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at UW - Green Bay. During the 2019-2020 year, about 80% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW - Green Bay also is in the top 10% of our Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking.
With a ranking of #10, Youngstown State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. This fairly large public school is located in Youngstown, Ohio, and it awarded 122 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Youngstown State University undergraduate students pay an average of $9,732 in tuition and fees each year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $28,959 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at Youngstown State University, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 58% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Ferris State University landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Ferris State University is a fairly large public school located in Big Rapids, Michigan that handed out 139 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Ferris are $13,188 a year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $27,526 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Ferris. In 2019-2020 about 83% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #12, Rasmussen University - Wisconsin did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. This very small private for-profit school is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and it awarded 36 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Rasmussen University - Wisconsin undergraduate students pay an average of $12,860 in tuition and fees each year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $37,026 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out Rasmussen University - Wisconsin. Every undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Herzing University - Akron landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Herzing Akron is a private not-for-profit institution located in Akron, Ohio. The school has a very small population, and it awarded 6 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Herzing Akron undergraduate students pay an average of $14,200 in tuition and fees each year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $41,604 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Herzing Akron. During the 2019-2020 year, about 79% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
University of Akron Main Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Akron, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 229 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at University of Akron Main Campus are $11,880 per year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $27,186 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at University of Akron Main Campus. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 94% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #15, Western Illinois University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. WIU is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 40 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WIU are $13,297 per year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $28,617 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at WIU. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 91% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Stevens Point is a public institution located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 20 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Stevens Point undergraduate students pay an average of $17,035 in tuition and fees each year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $24,570 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at UW - Stevens Point. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 95% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
In addition to its great value ranking, UW - Stevens Point is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
Herzing University - Madison landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 129 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Herzing University - Madison are $14,200 per year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $41,482 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Herzing University - Madison does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 97% took at least some of their classes online.
Northern Illinois University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #18 on the list. NIU is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 185 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
NIU undergraduate students pay an average of $14,738 in tuition and fees each year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $25,759 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at NIU. In fact, around 4% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #19, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Charleston, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 35 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at EIU are $14,551 a year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $23,733 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at EIU. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 60% took at least some of their classes online.
Purdue University Global ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue University Global is a large public school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 403 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Purdue University Global are $14,436 a year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $42,448 in student loans.
Purdue University Global is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Ohio Christian University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #21 on the list. Ohio Christian University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Circleville, Ohio that handed out 6 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at OCU are $14,395 a year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $31,527 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at OCU. During the 2019-2020 year, about 67% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Eastern Michigan University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #22 on the list. Eastern Michigan is a fairly large public school situated in Ypsilanti, Michigan. It awarded 500 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Eastern Michigan are $15,500 per year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $29,932 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Eastern Michigan does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 98% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Chicago State University landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree nursing programs. CSU is located in Chicago, Illinois and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CSU are $11,204 per year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $38,261 in loans while pursuing their degree.
CSU does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 57% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Baker College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #24 on the list. Owosso, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 221 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Baker College are $12,420 a year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $36,699 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Baker College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 68% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #25, Governors State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in University Park, Illinois, the small public school handed out 32 bachelor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at GSU are $17,620 per year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $28,123 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that GSU does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 69% took at least some of their classes online.
View Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools Nationwide >
Honorable Mentions
These schools also performed well in our best nursing schools ranking:
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | Cleveland State University | Cleveland, OH |
| 26 | Wright State University - Lake Campus | Celina, OH |
| 28 | Lake Superior State University | Sault Ste Marie, MI |
| 29 | University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee | Milwaukee, WI |
More Great Lakes Rankings
Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- 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 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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