Best Colleges in the Midwest

Best Colleges in the Midwest, ranked by median 10-year earnings. Region: Census Midwest region. Included states / district: IN IL MI OH WI IA KS MN MO NE ND SD. Median earnings of federally aided former students who are working and not enrolled, 10 years after entry; includes students who did not graduate. “Best” on this page means highest reported earnings, not an overall quality score. Four-year colleges with at least 1,000 undergraduates. Online-only schools are excluded. This page lists all 288 colleges in the ranking. Search and filter the list.

1Rose-Hulman Institute of TechnologyTerre Haute, Indiana77%1427$43k$101k78%2,309148 mi 2University of Notre DameNotre Dame, Indiana11%1520$27k$100k95%8,81825 mi 3Kettering UniversityFlint, Michigan79%1251$35k$95k71%1,20541 mi 4Chamberlain University-IllinoisAddison, Illinois83%—$32k$92k42%14,02719 mi 5University of ChicagoChicago, Illinois4%1554$15k$92k96%7,5691 mi 6Northwestern UniversityEvanston, Illinois8%1533$29k$89k95%9,2011 mi 7Milwaukee School of EngineeringMilwaukee, Wisconsin59%—$22k$89k67%2,6541 mi 8Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, Ohio37%1513$41k$88k87%6,4373 mi 9Washington University in St LouisSt. Louis, Missouri12%1530$22k$86k94%7,857258 mi 10University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, Michigan16%1465$13k$84k93%34,17730 mi 11Missouri University of Science and TechnologyRolla, Missouri73%1317$16k$83k64%5,521344 mi 12Illinois Institute of TechnologyChicago, Illinois55%1311$18k$83k75%2,8331 mi 13University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, Illinois42%1440$14k$81k85%36,258115 mi 14Ohio Northern UniversityAda, Ohio74%1252$24k$81k75%2,48962 mi 15Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, Wisconsin81%1310$31k$78k83%7,6602 mi 16Michigan Technological UniversityHoughton, Michigan92%1258$14k$78k68%5,9551 mi 17Butler UniversityIndianapolis, Indiana85%1274$36k$77k80%4,317135 mi 18Saint Johns UniversityCollegeville, Minnesota91%1183$26k$77k75%1,395136 mi 19University of DaytonDayton, Ohio65%1335$30k$76k80%7,682133 mi 20Carleton CollegeNorthfield, Minnesota20%1517$25k$76k90%2,086164 mi 21Creighton UniversityOmaha, Nebraska80%1321$32k$74k83%4,348424 mi 22University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, Wisconsin45%1427$17k$74k90%36,90276 mi 23University of St ThomasSaint Paul, Minnesota85%1296$29k$74k76%6,245134 mi 24Purdue University-Main CampusWest Lafayette, Indiana50%1364$15k$72k83%44,50385 mi 25South Dakota School of Mines and TechnologyRapid City, South Dakota80%1245$20k$72k53%2,071569 mi 26Drake UniversityDes Moines, Iowa64%1292$29k$72k74%2,543303 mi 27Kenyon CollegeGambier, Ohio31%1429$39k$72k82%1,73270 mi 28Loyola University ChicagoChicago, Illinois82%1297$36k$72k73%11,737< 1 mi 29University of Detroit MercyDetroit, Michigan75%1134$15k$71k67%2,4388 mi 30Illinois Wesleyan UniversityBloomington, Illinois39%1275$28k$71k75%1,582114 mi 31Saint Louis UniversitySaint Louis, Missouri75%1317$24k$71k80%7,267256 mi 32DePauw UniversityGreencastle, Indiana57%1340$22k$71k75%1,905139 mi 33Lawrence Technological UniversitySouthfield, Michigan56%—$33k$69k61%1,66814 mi 34University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesMinneapolis, Minnesota80%1362$17k$69k85%31,855134 mi 35DePaul UniversityChicago, Illinois76%1262$31k$69k68%14,0901 mi 36University of Illinois ChicagoChicago, Illinois77%1250$11k$69k62%22,1702 mi 37Denison UniversityGranville, Ohio17%1410$40k$68k79%2,38091 mi 38Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, Michigan85%1269$20k$67k81%40,92271 mi 39Rockhurst UniversityKansas City, Missouri70%1120$26k$67k75%1,580414 mi 40Bradley UniversityPeoria, Illinois77%—$23k$67k76%3,574130 mi 41Lewis UniversityRomeoville, Illinois71%1096$17k$66k67%4,01529 mi 42The College of Saint ScholasticaDuluth, Minnesota93%1120$28k$66k71%1,7651 mi 43Gustavus Adolphus CollegeSaint Peter, Minnesota61%1290$23k$66k77%1,878190 mi 44Kalamazoo CollegeKalamazoo, Michigan75%1280$19k$66k76%1,14936 mi 45St Olaf CollegeNorthfield, Minnesota48%1380$24k$66k84%3,093165 mi 46Xavier UniversityCincinnati, Ohio86%1217$33k$65k69%4,207176 mi 47University of IowaIowa City, Iowa84%1200$23k$65k75%22,264195 mi 48Metropolitan State UniversitySaint Paul, Minnesota99%1020$17k$65k44%5,616131 mi 49University of St FrancisJoliet, Illinois65%1141$13k$64k67%1,22332 mi 50Macalester CollegeSaint Paul, Minnesota29%1440$32k$64k87%2,131134 mi 51Baker UniversityBaldwin City, Kansas94%—$25k$64k58%1,100452 mi 52Bethel UniversitySaint Paul, Minnesota88%1249$29k$64k71%1,871127 mi 53Wheaton CollegeWheaton, Illinois87%1380$27k$64k85%2,12124 mi 54Indiana University-BloomingtonBloomington, Indiana78%1313$16k$64k80%37,806174 mi 55University of North DakotaGrand Forks, North Dakota77%—$19k$64k60%9,981245 mi 56Benedictine UniversityLisle, Illinois95%—$22k$63k50%1,94226 mi 57University of Missouri-ColumbiaColumbia, Missouri78%1247$20k$63k75%23,929318 mi 58Iowa State UniversityAmes, Iowa89%1204$19k$63k75%25,367299 mi 59College of Saint BenedictSaint Joseph, Minnesota92%1151$27k$63k77%1,370134 mi 60Valparaiso UniversityValparaiso, Indiana89%1178$19k$63k70%2,08314 mi 61Northwood UniversityMidland, Michigan65%—$27k$63k63%1,97418 mi 62Augustana CollegeRock Island, Illinois63%1165$23k$63k73%2,490150 mi 63John Carroll UniversityUniversity Heights, Ohio81%1298$29k$63k79%2,2746 mi 64Grinnell CollegeGrinnell, Iowa15%1486$18k$63k88%1,729254 mi 65University of Minnesota-DuluthDuluth, Minnesota89%1251$19k$63k65%7,336< 1 mi 66North Dakota State University-Main CampusFargo, North Dakota95%1150$16k$62k64%9,471222 mi 67Illinois State UniversityNormal, Illinois88%1113$19k$62k65%19,057113 mi 68Maryville University of Saint LouisSaint Louis, Missouri95%—$22k$62k66%5,658264 mi 69University of KansasLawrence, Kansas93%1190$18k$62k69%21,217448 mi 70Lake Forest CollegeLake Forest, Illinois57%1343$29k$62k78%1,8131 mi 71University of Wisconsin-PlattevillePlatteville, Wisconsin89%1190$16k$62k56%5,837132 mi 72Elmhurst UniversityElmhurst, Illinois74%1151$24k$61k70%3,00616 mi 73Bellevue UniversityBellevue, Nebraska——$18k$61k33%10,220425 mi 74Hamline UniversitySaint Paul, Minnesota88%1160$21k$61k60%1,776132 mi 75University of MaryBismarck, North Dakota75%1159$18k$61k67%2,416409 mi 76Mount Mercy UniversityCedar Rapids, Iowa83%—$20k$61k58%1,107197 mi 77Ohio State University-Main CampusColumbus, Ohio61%1387$17k$60k88%45,63899 mi 78University of Wisconsin-La CrosseLa Crosse, Wisconsin76%1220$16k$60k71%9,277167 mi 79Dominican UniversityRiver Forest, Illinois90%1002$12k$60k55%2,5619 mi 80North Central CollegeNaperville, Illinois77%1213$21k$60k64%2,42828 mi 81Indiana Wesleyan University-National & GlobalMarion, Indiana——$17k$60k35%6,656105 mi 82Indiana Wesleyan University-MarionMarion, Indiana89%1082$23k$60k67%1,974105 mi 83Concordia University-Saint PaulSaint Paul, Minnesota79%—$18k$60k46%3,018133 mi 84Luther CollegeDecorah, Iowa72%1218$23k$60k71%1,379196 mi 85Walsh UniversityNorth Canton, Ohio71%1193$20k$60k59%1,39047 mi 86Edgewood UniversityMadison, Wisconsin76%—$26k$60k60%1,10777 mi 87University of Michigan-DearbornDearborn, Michigan56%1115$9k$60k58%5,9526 mi 88University of Missouri-Kansas CityKansas City, Missouri72%1204$13k$60k55%6,817415 mi 89The College of WoosterWooster, Ohio60%1353$23k$60k74%1,73047 mi 90North Park UniversityChicago, Illinois69%—$17k$60k58%1,8183 mi 91Saint Ambrose UniversityDavenport, Iowa77%1093$25k$60k61%1,916150 mi 92Saint Mary's CollegeNotre Dame, Indiana76%1246$25k$59k69%1,45824 mi 93Concordia College at MoorheadMoorhead, Minnesota63%1190$25k$59k61%1,829220 mi 94St Catherine UniversitySaint Paul, Minnesota92%1147$20k$59k61%2,473135 mi 95Simpson CollegeIndianola, Iowa86%1440$22k$59k63%1,227302 mi 96Augustana UniversitySioux Falls, South Dakota68%1195$24k$59k73%1,965317 mi

US Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS. Missing or suppressed values are excluded. A ranking is a comparison of the named measure, not an overall quality score.