2026 Best Best Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Best is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for best students pursuing a degree.
What’s on this page:
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
No school ranked higher than Michigan Technological University this year for best. Located in the town of Houghton, Michigan Technological University is a moderately-sized public university. About 68% of students finish within six years. Michigan Technological University awarded about 52 best degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, best degree recipients from Michigan Technological University generally make around $64,652. Typical student debt for the program is $25,800.
See the full best program report for Michigan Technological University
A rank of #2 makes University Of Michigan Ann Arbor one of the top schools for best. Set in the city of Ann Arbor, University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public institution. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor graduates 93% of students within six years. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor awarded about 71 best degrees in the most recent data year. Best graduates of University Of Michigan Ann Arbor earn a median of $66,254 early in their careers. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor graduates carry a median of $19,137 in student loans.
Read more about the best program at University Of Michigan Ann Arbor
Bowling Green State University Main Campus came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best best schools. Bowling Green State University Main Campus is a large public school located in the town of Bowling Green. About 61% of students finish within six years. About 13 best degrees were awarded at Bowling Green State University Main Campus in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, best degree recipients from Bowling Green State University Main Campus generally make around $45,196. Typical student debt for the program is $25,449.
Get the full best details for Bowling Green State University Main Campus
Students looking for a strong best program will find one at Depaul University, which ranked #4. Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Roughly 68% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 11 best degrees were awarded at Depaul University in the most recent year. Students who receive their best degree from Depaul University earn around $55,226 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $25,310.
See the full best program report for Depaul University
Narrow Best Schools by State
View All Best Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 8 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.
