2026 Best Best Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Best degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 6 schools to find the best for best students.
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Featured Best Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
MS in Information Technology - Web Design
Build on your IT degree and become an asset to your company by learning to create and maintain interactive and e-commerce websites with this specialized online master's from Southern New Hampshire University.
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BS in Computer Science - Software Engineering
With a software engineering degree, you'll learn the fundamental concepts and principles – a systematic approach used to develop software on time, on budget and within specifications – throughout your online college classes at SNHU.
Learn More
Best Schools for Best in the Great Lakes Region
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the best degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Best
No school ranked higher than University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign this year for best. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign graduates 85% of students within six years. About 40 best degrees were awarded at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign in the most recent year. Graduates of the best program make about $113,503 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $19,399.
Get the full best details for University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign
A rank of #2 makes University Of Cincinnati Main Campus one of the top schools for best. Located in the city of Cincinnati, University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a very large public university. About 74% of students finish within six years. About 78 best degrees were awarded at University Of Cincinnati Main Campus in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, best degree recipients from University Of Cincinnati Main Campus generally make around $80,126. Students borrow a median of $23,203 to complete this degree.
See the full best program report for University Of Cincinnati Main Campus
Students looking for a strong best program will find one at Kent State University At Kent, which ranked #3. Kent State University At Kent is a very large public school located in the suburb of Kent. Kent State University At Kent graduates 64% of students within six years. There were roughly 69 best students who graduated with this degree at Kent State University At Kent in the most recent data year. Best graduates of Kent State University At Kent earn a median of $63,535 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in best from Kent State University At Kent
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 6 schools evaluated.
- 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.
