2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Value](/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/microbiological-sciences-immunology/infectious-disease-and-global-health/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 2 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value value schools.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in value, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Value Schools
University Of Michigan Ann Arbor tops our 2026 list of the best value value schools in the Great Lakes Region. Set in the city of Ann Arbor, University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,848, with out-of-state students paying around $63,081. Typical student debt for value graduates is $18,644. Value graduates of University Of Michigan Ann Arbor earn a median of $32,022 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 16% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in value will find it at University Of Cincinnati Main Campus, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Cincinnati, University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $13,363, with out-of-state students paying around $28,697. Typical student debt for value graduates is $23,530. Value graduates of University Of Cincinnati Main Campus earn a median of $58,659 early in their careers. Set against $23,530 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Cincinnati Main Campus admits about 85% of applicants.
Narrow Value Schools by State
View All Value Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked 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 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.
