2026 Best Best Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Best programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
College Factual analyzed 11 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best best schools.
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Best Schools for Best in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall best education in the Great Lakes Region.
Top Schools in Best
Our analysis ranked University Of Michigan Ann Arbor the best school in the country for a degree in best. Located in the city of Ann Arbor, University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public university. Roughly 93% of students complete a degree within six years here. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor awarded about 370 best degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their best degree from University Of Michigan Ann Arbor earn around $66,254 in the first couple years of their career. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor graduates carry a median of $19,137 in student loans.
See the full best program report for University Of Michigan Ann Arbor
A rank of #2 makes Southern Illinois University Edwardsville one of the top schools for best. Located in the suburb of Edwardsville, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a large public university. About 55% of students finish within six years. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville awarded about 38 best degrees in the most recent data year. Best graduates of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville earn a median of $54,302 early in their careers. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville graduates carry a median of $23,917 in student loans.
See the full best program report for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Students looking for a strong best program will find one at Michigan Technological University, which ranked #3. Michigan Technological University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Houghton. The six-year graduation rate is 68%. There were roughly 30 best students who graduated with this degree at Michigan Technological University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the best program make about $64,652 in their early career. Michigan Technological University graduates carry a median of $25,800 in student loans.
See the full best program report for Michigan Technological University
A rank of #4 makes University Of Wisconsin Stout one of the top schools for best. University Of Wisconsin Stout is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Menomonie. Roughly 55% of students complete a degree within six years here. University Of Wisconsin Stout awarded about 29 best degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the best program make about $54,235 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $25,821.
See the full best program report for University Of Wisconsin Stout
Eastern Michigan University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best best schools. Eastern Michigan University is a large public school located in the suburb of Ypsilanti. About 46% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 24 best students who graduated with this degree at Eastern Michigan University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the best program make about $47,887 in their early career. Eastern Michigan University graduates carry a median of $28,781 in student loans.
Get the full best details for Eastern Michigan University
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 11 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.
