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2024 Best Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region

168 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
46,115 Education Degrees Awarded
$43,567 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in education is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #4 out of 38 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

College Factual looked at 168 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 46,115 degrees in education during the 2021-2022 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Education School

Best Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region Your choice of education school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for education schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Education Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Education
Bachelor's Degrees in Education
Master's Degrees in Education
Doctor's Degrees in Education

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Education in the Great Lakes Region

The schools below may not offer all types of education degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in Education

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
124 Education Degrees Awarded
$51,813 Median Starting Salary

Northwestern University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in education. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were roughly 124 education students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the education program at Northwestern University make $8,246 above the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in education from Northwestern University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
663 Education Degrees Awarded
$47,555 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in education needs to take a look at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 663 education students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the education degree program at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign get $3,988 above the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in education from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
659 Education Degrees Awarded
$52,333 Median Starting Salary

Purdue University - Main Campus is a wonderful choice for students interested in a degree in education. Purdue is a fairly large public university located in the small city of West Lafayette. A Best Colleges rank of #40 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Purdue is a great university overall.

There were approximately 659 education students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent year we have data available. Education degree recipients from Purdue University - Main Campus get an earnings boost of about $8,766 over the average income of education graduates.

More information about a degree in education from Purdue University - Main Campus

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$53,408 Median Starting Salary
$66,107 Median Student Debt

University of Chicago is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in education. Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were approximately 26 education students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available. Those education students who get their degree from University of Chicago earn $9,841 more than the typical education graduate.

More information about a degree in education from University of Chicago

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2,553 Education Degrees Awarded
$46,131 Median Starting Salary

Any student pursuing a degree in education needs to check out Ball State University. Located in the small city of Muncie, Ball State is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 6th out of 42 schools for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were roughly 2553 education students who graduated with this degree at Ball State in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the education degree program at Ball State University make $2,564 above the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in education from Ball State University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
579 Education Degrees Awarded
$49,636 Median Starting Salary

IU Bloomington is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Bloomington. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.

There were roughly 579 education students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent year we have data available. Education degree recipients from Indiana University - Bloomington get an earnings boost of approximately $6,069 above the typical earnings of education majors.

More information about a degree in education from Indiana University - Bloomington

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
177 Education Degrees Awarded
$49,158 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #137 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 177 education students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent data year. Those education students who get their degree from Loyola University Chicago receive $5,591 more than the typical education student.

More information about a degree in education from Loyola University Chicago

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
992 Education Degrees Awarded
$42,536 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 8th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 992 education students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, education degree recipients generally make around $42,536 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in education from Illinois State University

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
583 Education Degrees Awarded
$45,935 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were about 583 education students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Education degree recipients from University of Wisconsin - Madison earn a boost of around $2,368 above the average earnings of education majors.

More information about a degree in education from University of Wisconsin - Madison

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,032 Education Degrees Awarded
$59,272 Median Starting Salary

Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of River Forest. A Best Colleges rank of #170 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Concordia University, Chicago is a great university overall.

There were approximately 1032 education students who graduated with this degree at Concordia University, Chicago in the most recent data year. Education degree recipients from Concordia University, Chicago earn a boost of around $15,705 over the typical earnings of education majors.

More information about a degree in education from Concordia University, Chicago

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
318 Education Degrees Awarded
$42,166 Median Starting Salary

UDayton is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Dayton. This university ranks 6th out of 96 schools for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were roughly 318 education students who graduated with this degree at UDayton in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, education degree recipients typically make an average of $42,166 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in education from University of Dayton

11
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, IL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
75 Education Degrees Awarded
$38,064 Median Starting Salary

Augustana is a small private not-for-profit college located in the small city of Rock Island. This college ranks 21st out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 75 education students who graduated with this degree at Augustana in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the education program state that they receive average early career income of $38,064.

More information about a degree in education from Augustana College

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
122 Education Degrees Awarded
$38,439 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Peoria, Bradley is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 14th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 122 education students who graduated with this degree at Bradley in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, education degree recipients usually earn an average of $38,439 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in education from Bradley University

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
571 Education Degrees Awarded
$41,709 Median Starting Salary

Miami University - Oxford is a large public university located in the town of Oxford. A Best Colleges rank of #116 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Miami University - Oxford is a great university overall.

There were about 571 education students who graduated with this degree at Miami University - Oxford in the most recent data year. After graduating, education degree recipients typically make an average of $41,709 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in education from Miami University - Oxford

14
Hope crest
Hope College
Holland, MI
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
111 Education Degrees Awarded
$40,116 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Holland, Hope is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 8th out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were about 111 education students who graduated with this degree at Hope in the most recent data year. After graduating, education degree recipients usually make an average of $40,116 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in education from Hope College

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
745 Education Degrees Awarded
$41,977 Median Starting Salary

Ohio State is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Columbus. A Best Colleges rank of #69 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Ohio State is a great university overall.

There were about 745 education students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, education degree recipients usually make around $41,977 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in education from Ohio State University - Main Campus

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
569 Education Degrees Awarded
$52,033 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #74 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.

There were about 569 education students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent data year. Education degree recipients from Michigan State University receive an earnings boost of about $8,466 over the average income of education graduates.

More information about a degree in education from Michigan State University

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
291 Education Degrees Awarded
$45,258 Median Starting Salary

U-M is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor. A Best Colleges rank of #29 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were roughly 291 education students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the education program report average early career earnings of $45,258.

More information about a degree in education from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
758 Education Degrees Awarded
$39,787 Median Starting Salary

UC is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Cincinnati. A Best Colleges rank of #166 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 758 education students who graduated with this degree at UC in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the education program earn around $39,787 for their early career.

More information about a degree in education from University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

19
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
715 Education Degrees Awarded
$49,263 Median Starting Salary

Central Michigan is a large public university located in the town of Mount Pleasant. This university ranks 10th out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were about 715 education students who graduated with this degree at Central Michigan in the most recent year we have data available. Education degree recipients from Central Michigan University receive an earnings boost of about $5,696 above the typical income of education graduates.

More information about a degree in education from Central Michigan University

20
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
473 Education Degrees Awarded
$50,001 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 7th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 473 education students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent data year. Education degree recipients from DePaul University receive an earnings boost of about $6,434 over the average earnings of education graduates.

More information about a degree in education from DePaul University

21
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
60 Education Degrees Awarded
$32,049 Median Starting Salary

Wheaton College Illinois is a small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Wheaton. This college ranks 11th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 60 education students who graduated with this degree at Wheaton College Illinois in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the education program make an average of $32,049 for their early career.

More information about a degree in education from Wheaton College Illinois

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,084 Education Degrees Awarded
$60,394 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Chicago, NLU is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 17th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 1084 education students who graduated with this degree at NLU in the most recent data year. Education degree recipients from National Louis University earn a boost of approximately $16,827 above the typical earnings of education graduates.

More information about a degree in education from National Louis University

23
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
357 Education Degrees Awarded
$62,273 Median Starting Salary

UIC is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Chicago. This university ranks 6th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 357 education students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent year we have data available. Education degree recipients from University of Illinois at Chicago receive an earnings boost of around $18,706 over the average earnings of education graduates.

More information about a degree in education from University of Illinois at Chicago

24
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
505 Education Degrees Awarded
$45,963 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Kalamazoo, WMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were roughly 505 education students who graduated with this degree at WMU in the most recent year we have data available. Education degree recipients from Western Michigan University receive an earnings boost of about $2,396 above the typical earnings of education majors.

More information about a degree in education from Western Michigan University

Rest of the Top Best Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.

RankCollegeLocation
26Saint Norbert CollegeDe Pere, WI
27Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, WI
28Viterbo UniversityLa Crosse, WI
29Calvin UniversityGrand Rapids, MI
30Eastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti, MI
31Elmhurst UniversityElmhurst, IL
32University of Wisconsin - La CrosseLa Crosse, WI
33Indiana Wesleyan UniversityMarion, IN

Best Education Colleges by State

Explore the best education schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Indiana3810,390
Michigan385,598
Ohio388,875
Illinois3810,126
Wisconsin375,311

View All Rankings >

Education Majors to Study

MajorAnnual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific14,766
Teacher Education Subject Specific7,179
Educational Administration6,754
Special Education6,161
General Education3,298
Curriculum & Instruction2,813
Student Counseling1,415
Instructional Media Design1,216
Teaching Assistants576
Teaching English or French521

View All Education Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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