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2024 Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

417 Colleges
$68,251 Avg Salary*
68% Avg 4-Year Grad Rate*

With all of the options you have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our Top Great Lakes Region Colleges ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

We analyzed 417 colleges and universities across the Great Lakes Region to determine which were the best in terms of overall quality. To come up with this ranking, we look at more than 20 factors that are all objective measurements. These factors include freshman retention, graduation rate, student-to-faculty ratio, and post graduate earnings, among other things.

Find out more about our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

We've developed a number of other tools and rankings to help you make your college decision. Start by filtering this list by location or field of study and then explore our other rankings that feature schools great for different groups of students such as veterans or returnings adults.

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We've created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you're torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another!

Top Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

1
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago tops this year’s ranking as the best school in the Great Lakes Region for overall quality. UChicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 6,805 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 99%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from UChicago go into careers with an average salary of $76,730 during the early years of their career.

Full University of Chicago Report

2
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2024 Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, the large private not-for-profit school awarded 9,290 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty rate of 6 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern go into careers with an average salary of $80,033 during the early years of their career.

Read full report on Northwestern University

3
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Notre Dame. It ranked #3 on our 2024 Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, and it awarded 4,431 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame make an average of $88,962 per year during the early years of their career.

Read full report on University of Notre Dame

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2024 Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region list. The Chicago School Chicago Campus is located in Chicago, Illinois and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 393 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $52,835 during the early years of their career..

Read full report on The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Chicago

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #5 on our 2024 Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 15,915 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The 4-year grad rate at the school is 80%. That’s impressive when you compare it to the national rate of 33%. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from U-M go into careers with an average salary of $75,842 during the early years of their career.

Read full report on University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

6

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #6 on this year’s Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17,417 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from UW - Madison is $65,213 during the early years of their career.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Report

7

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #7 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15,117 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from UIUC is $71,539 during the early years of their career.

Read full report on University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

8

Illinois College of Optometry ranked #8 on this year’s Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region list. Illinois College of Optometry is a small private not-for-profit school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 126 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Illinois College of Optometry

9
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 12,568 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $65,257 during the early years of their career..

Read More…

10

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #10 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region ranking. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11,649 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from IU Bloomington make an average of $58,814 per year during the early years of their career.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Report

11

Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology is a small private not-for-profit school located in Terre Haute, Indiana that handed out 502 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology go into careers with an average salary of $94,131 during the early years of their career.

Read full report on Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology

12
Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School crest
Moody Bible Institute
Chicago, Illinois

Moody Bible Institute landed the #12 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 716 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%

Read More…

13
Adler crest
Adler University
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #13, Adler University did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 500 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%

Read More…

14

Case Western Reserve University landed the #14 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region ranking.Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 3,885 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Case Western make an average of $78,330 per year during the early years of their career.

Read full report on Case Western Reserve University

15

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16,838 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State is $55,332 during the early years of their career.

Read More…

16
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

With a ranking of #16, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, the large public school awarded 13,487 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $61,101 during the early years of their career..

Read full report on Michigan State University

17

Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science ranked #17 on this year’s Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region list. Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science is a small private not-for-profit school located in North Chicago, Illinois that handed out 632 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%

Read full report on Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

18
Rush University crest
Rush University
Chicago, Illinois

Rush University landed the #18 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 815 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive student-to-faculty rate of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $73,727 during the early years of their career..

Full Rush University Report

19

Midwestern University - Downers Grove came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region ranking.Downers Grove, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 910 students in 2020-2021.

Full Midwestern University - Downers Grove Report

20

With a ranking of #20, Michigan Technological University did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region list.Houghton, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,820 students in 2020-2021.

The low student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1% During the early years of their career, graduates from Michigan Tech make an average of $73,541 a year.

Full Michigan Technological University Report

21
Fox College crest
Fox College
Tinley Park, Illinois

Fox College landed the #21 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Fox College is located in Tinley Park, Illinois and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 297 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.

Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Fox College go into careers with an average salary of $36,715 during the early years of their career.

Full Fox College Report

22

Miami University - Oxford ranked #22 on this year’s Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Oxford, Ohio, the fairly large public school awarded 5,964 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $54,650 during the early years of their career..

Read More…

23
Marquette crest
Marquette University
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #23, Marquette University did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region list. Marquette is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3,619 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. During the early years of their career, graduates from Marquette make an average of $72,489 a year.

Read full report on Marquette University

24
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago landed the #24 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 5,599 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Loyola Chicago is $63,232 during the early years of their career.

Full Loyola University Chicago Report

25
Butler crest
Butler University
Indianapolis, Indiana

Butler University did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #25. Butler University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 1,561 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1% Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Butler go into careers with an average salary of $66,540 during the early years of their career.

Full Butler University Report

Rest of the Top 50 Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Denison Crest
Denison University
Granville, Ohio
27
28
29
DePauw Crest
DePauw University
Greencastle, Indiana
30
31
Concordia University, Chicago Crest
Concordia University, Chicago
River Forest, Illinois
32
33
Kettering Crest
Kettering University
Flint, Michigan

34

35
36
37
Oak Point Crest
Oak Point University
Oak Brook, Illinois
38
DePaul Crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois
39
Ball State Crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana
40
Kenyon Crest
Kenyon College
Gambier, Ohio
41
42
Oberlin Crest
Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio
43

44
Medical College of Wisconsin Crest
Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

45
46
47
College of Lake County Crest
College of Lake County
Grayslake, Illinois
48
Wheaton College Illinois Crest
Wheaton College Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois
49
50

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Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

To learn more about the schools below, just click on their names:

RankCollegeLocation
51Rasmussen University - IllinoisRockford, IL
52Mount Mary UniversityMilwaukee, WI
53Northeast Ohio Medical UniversityRootstown, OH
54Lake Forest CollegeLake Forest, IL
55Indiana Wesleyan University - National & GlobalMarion, IN
56Ohio State University Agricultural Technical InstituteWooster, OH
57Bellin CollegeGreen Bay, WI
58University of Northwestern OhioLima, OH
59Union Institute & UniversityCincinnati, OH
60Bradley UniversityPeoria, IL
61Xavier UniversityCincinnati, OH
62University of Wisconsin - Eau ClaireEau Claire, WI
63Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo, MI

All Majors and Fields of Study >

Honorable Mentions

These schools also performed well in our Best Colleges ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
64Eastern Gateway Community CollegeSteubenville, OH
65Saint Anthony College of NursingRockford, IL
66Aurora UniversityAurora, IL
67Wabash CollegeCrawfordsville, IN
68University of Wisconsin - WhitewaterWhitewater, WI
69Columbia College ChicagoChicago, IL
70VanderCook College of MusicChicago, IL
71Macomb Community CollegeWarren, MI
72Wayne State UniversityDetroit, MI
73Saint Mary’s CollegeNotre Dame, IN
74Kent State University at KentKent, OH
75National Louis UniversityChicago, IL
76Hope CollegeHolland, MI
77Grand Valley State UniversityAllendale, MI
78Central Michigan UniversityMount Pleasant, MI
RankCollegeLocation
79Elmhurst UniversityElmhurst, IL
80Chippewa Valley Technical CollegeEau Claire, WI
81Kent State University at StarkNorth Canton, OH
82Purdue University GlobalWest Lafayette, IN
83Madison Area Technical CollegeMadison, WI
84The University of FindlayFindlay, OH

More Rankings >

Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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