With all of the options you have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take when you want to pursue a college degree. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our Best Bachelor's Degree Colleges in the Great Lakes Region ranking is part of that endeavor.
After analyzing 222 schools in the Great Lakes Region , we came up with our list of those that offered the best bachelor's degree programs. Instead of depending on subjective information to rank the best schools, we focus on objective factors in our analysis. More specifically, the following explains what we consider and why.
Better Early-Career Average Salaries
The average early-career salary of those graduating with a bachelor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. Recent students who earned a bachelor's degree in the Great Lakes Region entered the job market making an average of $40,343 while those in the top 25 schools on our list made an average of $45,005.
Starting Salary ( 35231 to 52519 )
Student Loan Borrowing
Students may also take on a lot of debt while working on their bachelor's so we factor that into our rankings as well.
When attending a school in the Great Lakes Region , bachelor's degree students accumulate an average of $26,790 in student debt before graduation.
The average amount taken out in student loans for graduates at a particular school may be crippling for those who earn less than average wages after graduation.
Additional Ranking Factors We Use
Our Best Bachelor's Degree Schools considers other factors in addition to average post-graduation earnings and average student debt.
These factors include things like the educational resources, the demand associated with the school, whether or not the school offers online classes, and the student body caliber - just to name a few.
Are you more interested in the top bachelor's degree schools in your area? Try narrowing this list by location. In addition, we've put together a number of other college rankings that may help you in your search.
Top Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Our analysis found University of Chicago to be the best school for bachelor’s degrees in the Great Lakes Region in this year’s ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,163 students in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from UChicago go into careers with an average salary of $46,910 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $16,306. This translates to an average monthly payment of $708 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #2 in the Great Lakes Region on this year’s best bachelor’s degree schools ranking. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,722 students in 2020-2021.
During the early years of their career, bachelor’s degree graduates from Northwestern make an average of $52,286 a year. Bachelor’s students carry an average student debt load of about $16,402 after getting their degree. This translates to an average monthly payment of $576 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Notre Dame. The school came in at #3 in the Great Lakes Region on this year’s best bachelor’s degree schools ranking. Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,848 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame is $52,524 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students carry an average student debt load of about $19,729 after getting their degree. Average monthly loan payments are around $578 for a 10-year repayment plan.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #4 in the Great Lakes Region on this year’s best bachelor’s degree schools ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 9,144 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from U-M go into careers with an average salary of $44,289 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students carry an average student debt load of about $18,344 after getting their degree. If the student is repaying the loan over 10 years, the average monthly payment is $419.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #5 on our 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, the large public school awarded 9,926 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from UW - Madison make an average of $43,876 per year during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students carry an average student debt load of about $22,543 after getting their degree. If the student is repaying the loan over 10 years, the average monthly payment is $336.
With a ranking of #6, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 9,305 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
During the early years of their career, bachelor’s degree graduates from UIUC make an average of $46,801 a year. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $19,646. Average monthly loan payments are around $415 for a 10-year repayment plan.
With a ranking of #7, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, the large public school handed out 8,338 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $46,973 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students leave the school with an average of $20,165 in student loans. This translates to an average monthly payment of $359 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
With a ranking of #8, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This large public school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 7,959 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from IU Bloomington make an average of $34,162 per year during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students leave the school with an average of $20,833 in student loans. Average monthly loan payments are around $375 for a 10-year repayment plan.
Case Western Reserve University did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 1,541 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
During the early years of their career, bachelor’s degree graduates from Case Western make an average of $52,318 a year. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $24,651. This translates to an average monthly payment of $458 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, the large public school handed out 12,018 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State make an average of $41,627 per year during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students carry an average student debt load of about $23,495 after getting their degree. If the student is repaying the loan over 10 years, the average monthly payment is $274.
Michigan State University did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #11. This large public school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 9,450 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State is $41,077 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students carry an average student debt load of about $25,805 after getting their degree. This translates to an average monthly payment of $428 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
With a ranking of #12, Michigan Technological University did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Michigan Tech is a public institution located in Houghton, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,202 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $58,620 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students leave the school with an average of $25,210 in student loans. If the student is repaying the loan over 10 years, the average monthly payment is $294.
With a ranking of #13, Miami University - Oxford did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large public school located in Oxford, Ohio that handed out 4,902 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Miami University - Oxford make an average of $42,113 per year during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students leave the school with an average of $24,512 in student loans. Average monthly loan payments are around $490 for a 10-year repayment plan.
With a ranking of #14, Marquette University did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 2,386 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Marquette make an average of $45,747 per year during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students leave the school with an average of $24,534 in student loans. This translates to an average monthly payment of $485 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
Butler University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Butler University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 1,107 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Butler is $45,331 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $21,333.
Loyola University Chicago ranked #16 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 3,353 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Loyola Chicago is $39,070 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $24,173. If the student is repaying the loan over 10 years, the average monthly payment is $652.
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #17 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UC is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6,500 bachelor’s degrees to qualified graduate students.
During the early years of their career, bachelor’s degree graduates from UC make an average of $43,027 a year. Bachelor’s students carry an average student debt load of about $25,817 after getting their degree. If the student is repaying the loan over 10 years, the average monthly payment is $293.
Denison University landed the #18 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Granville, Ohio, and it awarded 604 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Denison is $33,134 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students carry an average student debt load of about $25,133 after getting their degree.
DePauw University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. DePauw University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Greencastle, Indiana that handed out 583 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from DePauw go into careers with an average salary of $39,696 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $26,280. This translates to an average monthly payment of $628 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
University of Dayton ranked #20 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UDayton is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Dayton, Ohio. It awarded 2,123 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from UDayton make an average of $47,511 per year during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $25,368. If the student is repaying the loan over 10 years, the average monthly payment is $549.
Kettering University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Kettering University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Flint, Michigan that handed out 435 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Kettering go into careers with an average salary of $74,542 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $29,397. Average monthly loan payments are around $313 for a 10-year repayment plan.
With a ranking of #22, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 5,247 students in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from UIC is $39,988 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $19,837. This translates to an average monthly payment of $259 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
DePaul University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. DePaul is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 3,335 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
During the early years of their career, bachelor’s degree graduates from DePaul make an average of $37,199 a year. Bachelor’s students leave the school with an average of $25,227 in student loans. Average monthly loan payments are around $517 for a 10-year repayment plan.
Ohio University - Athens Campus ranked #24 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. OHIO Athens is a public institution located in Athens, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6,797 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from OHIO Athens make an average of $40,568 per year during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students carry an average student debt load of about $25,557 after getting their degree. This translates to an average monthly payment of $348 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
Kenyon College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Kenyon is a private not-for-profit institution located in Gambier, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 383 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
During the early years of their career, bachelor’s degree graduates from Kenyon make an average of $35,728 a year. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $17,138.
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%.