2026 Best Value Value Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Value](/majors/engineering/electrical-and-computer-engineering/general/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 11 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for value students.
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
For return on investment in value, no school beat Southern Illinois University Edwardsville this year. Set in the suburb of Edwardsville, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,092. Value graduates carry a median of $23,917 in student loans. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville generally make around $54,302. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a great value for students pursuing a degree in value, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Ann Arbor, University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,848, compared with $63,081 for out-of-state students. Value graduates carry a median of $19,137 in student loans. Early-career value graduates make about $66,254. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 16% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Michigan Technological University earned it the #3 place for value. Michigan Technological University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Houghton. In-state tuition and fees average $20,532, compared with $44,807 for out-of-state students. Value graduates carry a median of $25,800 in student loans. Early-career value graduates make about $64,652. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 92% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Eastern Michigan University earned it the #4 place for value. Set in the suburb of Ypsilanti, Eastern Michigan University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $16,990. Students borrow a median of $28,781 to complete the value program here. Early-career value graduates make about $47,887. That is a strong return on a $28,781 median debt. Eastern Michigan University admits about 80% of applicants.
University Of Wisconsin Stout came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value value schools. Set in the town of Menomonie, University Of Wisconsin Stout is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,701, with out-of-state students paying around $19,265. Value graduates carry a median of $25,821 in student loans. Value graduates of University Of Wisconsin Stout earn a median of $54,235 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,821 median debt. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Narrow Value Schools by State
View All Value Rankings >
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
