1
Antioch College tops our 2026 ranking of the most diverse colleges in Great Lakes. Antioch College scores 82.2 out of 100 for overall diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 71.9, with a gender-diversity score of 93.4.
by our College Data Analytics Team
If you’re seeking a diverse and multi-faceted college experience, you’ve come to the right place. We have ranked 587 institutions that stand out for their student bodies in Great Lakes, using our 2026 methodology.
We measure this ranking on several factors of the student body: racial/ethnic makeup, geographic origin, gender balance, and age range. So you can compare your options, College Factual reviewed 587 colleges, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Your ideal mix depends on what matters most to you. Refine the list by location, or explore the overall, racial-ethnic, gender, economic, and age diversity rankings, or other rankings below.
Want to compare schools head to head? We built a tool called College Combat to weigh schools on the factors you care about most.
Here are the top-ranked colleges:
Antioch College tops our 2026 ranking of the most diverse colleges in Great Lakes. Antioch College scores 82.2 out of 100 for overall diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 71.9, with a gender-diversity score of 93.4.
Out of the 587 colleges in Great Lakes in this year's ranking, Andrews University landed the #2 spot. The school's overall diversity score is 82.2 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 80.0, alongside a 98.9 gender-diversity score.
A rank of #3 makes Purdue University Global one of the most diverse colleges in Great Lakes. On overall diversity, it scores 81.4 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 65.0, and gender diversity 96.1.
Out of the 587 colleges in Great Lakes in this year's ranking, Moody Bible Institute landed the #4 spot. Moody Bible Institute scores 80.6 out of 100 for overall diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 68.7, and gender diversity 99.6.
A rank of #5 makes Paul Mitchell the School Milwaukee one of the most diverse colleges in Great Lakes. On overall diversity, it scores 79.9 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 47.4, with a gender-diversity score of 91.6.
Antioch University placed #6 among the most diverse colleges in Great Lakes. On overall diversity, it scores 79.8 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 71.4, alongside a 75.4 gender-diversity score.
National University of Health Sciences placed #7 among the most diverse colleges in Great Lakes. On overall diversity, it scores 78.6 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 64.3, with a gender-diversity score of 95.5.
DeVry University-Illinois earned the #8 position in Great Lakes. On overall diversity, it scores 78.6 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 67.5, with a gender-diversity score of 91.9.
Ottawa University-Milwaukee landed the #9 spot in Great Lakes this year. On overall diversity, it scores 78.2 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 69.1, with a gender-diversity score of 78.9.
Valor Christian College landed the #10 spot in Great Lakes this year. The school's overall diversity score is 77.9 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 63.9, with a gender-diversity score of 98.9.
Northwestern University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. The school's overall diversity score is 77.8 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 78.8, and gender diversity 99.4.
Indiana Institute of Technology came in at #12 in this year's ranking. On overall diversity, it scores 77.7 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 73.4, alongside a 97.8 gender-diversity score.
Beloit College placed #13 among the most diverse colleges in Great Lakes. On overall diversity, it scores 77.4 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 67.1, alongside a 99.8 gender-diversity score.
Columbia College Chicago landed the #14 spot in Great Lakes this year. It scores 77.3 out of 100 for overall diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 67.8, alongside a 96.2 gender-diversity score.
Veritas Baptist College earned the #15 position in Great Lakes. On overall diversity, it scores 76.8 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 31.6, with a gender-diversity score of 91.6.
Roosevelt University placed #16 among the most diverse colleges in Great Lakes. On overall diversity, it scores 76.6 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 78.2, and gender diversity 95.8.
Case Western Reserve University ranked #17 on our 2026 list of the most diverse colleges. Case Western Reserve University scores 76.2 out of 100 for overall diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 74.6, with a gender-diversity score of 99.9.
North Park University came in at #18 in this year's ranking. On overall diversity, it scores 75.9 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 77.4, and gender diversity 97.6.
Rockford University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. On overall diversity, it scores 75.6 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 72.4, and gender diversity 98.2.
Maranatha Baptist University placed #20 among the most diverse colleges in Great Lakes. The school's overall diversity score is 75.1 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 42.9, alongside a 99.1 gender-diversity score.
Judson University ranked #21 on our 2026 list of the most diverse colleges. It scores 75.1 out of 100 for overall diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 70.9, with a gender-diversity score of 99.2.
Calumet College of Saint Joseph came in at #22 in this year's ranking. It scores 75.1 out of 100 for overall diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 64.4, alongside a 95.2 gender-diversity score.
DePaul University came in at #23 in this year's ranking. The school's overall diversity score is 75.0 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 74.2, with a gender-diversity score of 99.3.
University of Chicago landed the #24 spot in Great Lakes this year. On overall diversity, it scores 75.0 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 76.7, alongside a 99.5 gender-diversity score.
Holy Cross College came in at #25 in this year's ranking. The school's overall diversity score is 74.8 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 64.6, and gender diversity 95.2.
These colleges rounded out the top of the list:
Explore the rest of the top 20% below:
| Rank | College | Overall Diversity Score |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Illinois Institute of Technology | 71.8 |
| 52 | Lewis University | 71.8 |
| 53 | City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman College | 71.7 |
| 54 | Chamberlain University-Michigan | 71.7 |
| 55 | Youngstown State University | 71.3 |
| 56 | University of Notre Dame | 71.3 |
| 57 | Trinity Christian College | 71.2 |
| 58 | Chamberlain University-Ohio | 71.1 |
| 59 | Washtenaw Community College | 71.1 |
| 60 | Prairie State College | 71.0 |
| 61 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 70.9 |
| 62 | University of Indianapolis | 70.9 |
| 63 | Lake Forest College | 70.9 |
| 64 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 70.8 |
| 65 | Northeastern Illinois University | 70.8 |
| Rank | College | Overall Diversity Score |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | University of Detroit Mercy | 70.8 |
| 67 | Eastern Illinois University | 70.8 |
| 68 | Purdue University Northwest | 70.7 |
| 69 | Knox College | 70.7 |
| 70 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | 70.7 |
| 71 | Greenville University | 70.6 |
| 72 | Columbus State Community College | 70.5 |
| 73 | Ohio Christian University | 70.5 |
| 74 | Eastern Michigan University | 70.5 |
| 75 | Franklin University | 70.2 |
| 76 | Mott Community College | 70.1 |
| 77 | Oakland Community College | 70.0 |
| 78 | MyComputerCareer at Columbus | 70.0 |
| 79 | Kenyon College | 69.8 |
| 80 | Bluffton University | 69.8 |
| 81 | Mid-America College of Funeral Service | 69.8 |
| 82 | Cuyahoga Community College District | 69.8 |
| 83 | Northern Illinois University | 69.8 |
| 84 | Lake Erie College | 69.7 |
| 85 | Parkland College | 69.7 |
| 86 | Oberlin College | 69.6 |
| 87 | Triton College | 69.6 |
| 88 | Chamberlain University-Indiana | 69.6 |
| 89 | University of Wisconsin-Parkside | 69.6 |
These colleges also rank near the top this year:
| Rank | College | Overall Diversity Score |
|---|---|---|
| 90 | College for Creative Studies | 69.6 |
| 91 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 69.6 |
| 92 | City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College | 69.6 |
| 93 | Rochester University | 69.5 |
| 94 | Elmhurst University | 69.5 |
| 95 | Goshen College | 69.4 |
| 96 | Wright State University-Main Campus | 69.4 |
| 97 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 69.4 |
| 98 | Wayne State University | 69.3 |
| 99 | Cleary University | 69.3 |
| 100 | Blackburn College | 69.1 |
| 101 | Sinclair Community College | 69.1 |
| 102 | Western Illinois University | 69.1 |
| 103 | Black Hawk College | 69.1 |
| 104 | Manchester University | 69.0 |
| Rank | College | Overall Diversity Score |
|---|---|---|
| 105 | College of DuPage | 69.0 |
| 106 | University of Michigan-Dearborn | 69.0 |
| 107 | Davenport University | 69.0 |
| 108 | Walsh University | 68.9 |
| 109 | Ohio Dominican University | 68.9 |
| 110 | Danville Area Community College | 68.8 |
| 111 | Denison University | 68.8 |
| 112 | Augustana College | 68.7 |
| 113 | University of Cincinnati-Clermont College | 68.7 |
| 114 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | 68.7 |
| 115 | Cleveland Institute of Music | 68.7 |
| 116 | Quincy University | 68.7 |
| 117 | Lake Michigan College | 68.5 |
| 118 | Oakton College | 68.5 |
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
Our ranking weighs several factors of the student body: racial/ethnic makeup, geographic representation, gender balance, and age range. The racial-ethnic minorities percentage is calculated by taking the total number of students, subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity is unknown, and dividing by total enrollment.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.