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Identifying High-Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
With all the business programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. 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 or bootcamp that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
The <nil> ranking is one of many tools that Business Degree Central has developed to help you make your educational decision.
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.
Featured schools near , edit
Top Value Business Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region of the U.S.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Rasmussen University - Illinois to be the best value school for business students who want to pursue a master’s degree in the Great Lakes Region . Located in Rockford, Illinois, the small private for-profit school awarded 4 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Rasmussen University - Illinois are $5,615 a year.
Since the graduate programs at Rasmussen University - Illinois are online, the school is an excellent choice for graduate students who need more flexibility than what is offered at some other schools.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Rasmussen University - Illinois also is in the top 15% of our ranking.
Out of the 166 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s value ranking, Ashland University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Ashland University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Ashland, Ohio that handed out 251 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Ashland are $6,972 per year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Ashland does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 84% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Wittenberg University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s list. Located in Springfield, Ohio, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 11 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Wittenberg are $8,352 per year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Wittenberg does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 21% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Calvin University is a great place for business students working on their master’s degree who want the most bang for their educational buck. Calvin is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It awarded 20 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Calvin are $11,880 per year.
Calvin does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 44% took at least some of their classes online.
Calvin excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our list.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ferris State University. It ranked #5 on our list. Ferris is located in Big Rapids, Michigan and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 35 master’s degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Ferris are $8,232 a year.
Ferris does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 67% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses ranked #6 on this year’s list. Trine is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 131 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Trine graduate students pay an average of $10,350 in tuition and fees each year.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out Trine. Every graduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Trine excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our list.
Full Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses Report
Kettering University ranked #7 on this year’s list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Flint, Michigan, and it awarded 147 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Kettering graduate students pay an average of $15,128 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that Kettering does offer online graduate classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 92% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Kettering also claimed a spot on our list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
Maranatha Baptist University ranked #8 on this year’s list. Located in Watertown, Wisconsin, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
MBU graduate students pay an average of $7,330 in tuition and fees each year.
Online graduate courses are available at MBU, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 98% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Youngstown State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for business students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #8 on the list. Youngstown State University is a fairly large public school situated in Youngstown, Ohio. It awarded 90 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Youngstown State University graduate students pay an average of $6,931 in tuition and fees each year.
Youngstown State University does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 60% took at least some of their classes online.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #10 spot in the rankings for the best value master’s degree business programs. SIUE is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 176 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at SIUE are $9,316 per year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since SIUE does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 86% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Read full report on Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Illinois State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for business students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #11 on the list. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 150 master’s degrees to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Illinois State are $11,773 per year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Illinois State. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 81% took at least some of their classes online.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Illinois State also is in the top 15% of our ranking.
With a ranking of #12, Butler University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for business students working on their master’s degree. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out master’s degrees to 92 students in 2020-2021.
Butler graduate students pay an average of $14,785 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Butler does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 24% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
In addition to its great value ranking, Butler is in the top 10% of all schools on our list.
With a ranking of #13, Northern Illinois University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for business students working on their master’s degree. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 327 master’s degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at NIU are $11,390 a year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at NIU. In fact, around 43% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
In addition to its great value ranking, NIU is in the top 20% of all schools on our list.
Xavier University ranked #14 on this year’s list. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 238 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Xavier are $12,076 per year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Xavier. In fact, around 46% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Xavier excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our list.
With a ranking of #14, Spring Arbor University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for business students working on their master’s degree. Spring Arbor University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Spring Arbor, Michigan that handed out 65 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Spring Arbor are $8,383 a year.
Spring Arbor does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 93% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #16, Grace College and Theological Seminary did quite well on this year’s best value schools for business students working on their master’s degree. Located in Winona Lake, Indiana, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 76 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
Grace College graduate students pay an average of $8,054 in tuition and fees each year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Grace College. In 2019-2020 about 81% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Baldwin Wallace University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the ranking. Berea, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out master’s degrees to 95 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Baldwin Wallace College are $11,363 a year.
One thing to take note of is that Baldwin Wallace College does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 40% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Saint Norbert College ranked #18 on this year’s list. SNC is a private not-for-profit institution located in De Pere, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at SNC are $11,363 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since SNC does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 17% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Cedarville University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for business students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #18 on the list. Cedarville University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Cedarville, Ohio that handed out 21 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Cedarville are $9,864 per year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Cedarville. In fact, around 52% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Muskingum University ranked #20 on this year’s list. Muskingum is a small private not-for-profit school situated in New Concord, Ohio. It awarded 6 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Muskingum graduate students pay an average of $10,350 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that Muskingum does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In fact, around 71% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #21, Viterbo University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for business students working on their master’s degree. Located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 62 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Viterbo are $9,488 a year.
Online graduate courses are available at Viterbo, 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, 72% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Bethel University - Mishawaka did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for business students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #21 on the list. Bethel University - Mishawaka is a small private not-for-profit school located in Mishawaka, Indiana that handed out 47 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Bethel University are $7,880 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Bethel University does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 89% took at least some of their classes online.
Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global ranked #23 on this year’s list. IWU is located in Marion, Indiana and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 547 master’s degrees to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at IWU are $10,440 per year.
One thing to take note of is that IWU does offer online graduate classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 90% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #24, Huntington University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for business students working on their master’s degree. Huntington is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Huntington, Indiana. It awarded 15 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Huntington are $11,856 a year.
Online graduate courses are available at Huntington, 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, 41% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
McKendree University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the ranking. McKendree is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lebanon, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 77 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at McKendree are $9,756 per year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since McKendree does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In fact, around 68% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Honorable Mentions
These schools also performed well in our best business schools ranking:
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | Valparaiso University | Valparaiso, IN |
| 27 | Oakland City University | Oakland City, IN |
| 28 | Concordia University, Wisconsin | Mequon, WI |
| 29 | Capital University | Columbus, OH |
| 29 | Marian University | Fond Du Lac, WI |
| 31 | Aquinas College Michigan | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 32 | Mount Vernon Nazarene University | Mount Vernon, OH |
| 33 | Carroll University | Waukesha, WI |
| 34 | Ottawa University - Milwaukee | Brookfield, WI |
| 34 | Cardinal Stritch University | 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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