Best Public Universities in the Great Lakes Region

Best Public Universities in the Great Lakes Region, ranked by median 10-year earnings. Region: our Great Lakes grouping. Included states / district: IL IN MI OH WI. 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 66 colleges in the ranking. Search and filter the list.

#

1University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, Michigan16%1465$13k$84k93%34,17730 mi 2University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, Illinois42%1440$14k$81k85%36,258115 mi 3Michigan Technological UniversityHoughton, Michigan92%1258$14k$78k68%5,9551 mi 4University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, Wisconsin45%1427$17k$74k90%36,90276 mi 5Purdue University-Main CampusWest Lafayette, Indiana50%1364$15k$72k83%44,50385 mi 6University of Illinois ChicagoChicago, Illinois77%1250$11k$69k62%22,1702 mi 7Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, Michigan85%1269$20k$67k81%40,92271 mi 8Indiana University-BloomingtonBloomington, Indiana78%1313$16k$64k80%37,806174 mi 9Illinois State UniversityNormal, Illinois88%1113$19k$62k65%19,057113 mi 10University of Wisconsin-PlattevillePlatteville, Wisconsin89%1190$16k$62k56%5,837132 mi 11Ohio State University-Main CampusColumbus, Ohio61%1387$17k$60k88%45,63899 mi 12University of Wisconsin-La CrosseLa Crosse, Wisconsin76%1220$16k$60k71%9,277167 mi 13University of Michigan-DearbornDearborn, Michigan56%1115$9k$60k58%5,9526 mi 14Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, Michigan88%1120$9k$59k58%12,35126 mi 15University of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireEau Claire, Wisconsin82%1220$17k$59k64%8,895127 mi 16Governors State UniversityUniversity Park, Illinois48%—$12k$58k22%2,55621 mi 17University of Wisconsin-StoutMenomonie, Wisconsin88%1150$17k$58k55%5,842126 mi 18Northern Illinois UniversityDekalb, Illinois70%—$13k$58k49%11,30153 mi 19University of Illinois SpringfieldSpringfield, Illinois86%1102$10k$57k53%2,263176 mi 20Southern Illinois University EdwardsvilleEdwardsville, Illinois98%1100$15k$56k57%8,750240 mi 21Grand Valley State UniversityAllendale, Michigan83%1074$16k$56k67%18,85417 mi 22Central Michigan UniversityMount Pleasant, Michigan90%1091$18k$56k59%10,03543 mi 23University of Wisconsin-OshkoshOshkosh, Wisconsin87%1090$14k$56k46%6,87742 mi 24University of Wisconsin-WhitewaterWhitewater, Wisconsin86%1050$14k$55k59%9,40545 mi 25Indiana University-IndianapolisIndianapolis, Indiana76%1139$12k$55k54%13,830139 mi 26Miami University-OxfordOxford, Ohio75%1317$28k$55k80%16,656161 mi 27Miami University-HamiltonHamilton, Ohio——$11k$55k25%2,043164 mi 28University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeMilwaukee, Wisconsin91%1090$15k$55k49%16,758< 1 mi 29University of Cincinnati-Main CampusCincinnati, Ohio85%1282$26k$55k75%29,882178 mi 30Ferris State UniversityBig Rapids, Michigan91%1012$9k$55k47%8,10648 mi 31University of Wisconsin-River FallsRiver Falls, Wisconsin82%1150$14k$54k57%4,205131 mi 32Western Illinois UniversityMacomb, Illinois71%—$13k$54k45%4,410186 mi 33Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo, Michigan85%—$15k$54k58%12,56836 mi 34Wayne State UniversityDetroit, Michigan81%1156$13k$53k58%15,5874 mi 35Southern Illinois University-CarbondaleCarbondale, Illinois87%1055$13k$53k62%8,494288 mi 36University of Michigan-FlintFlint, Michigan70%1102$7k$53k40%4,41141 mi 37Ohio University-Main CampusAthens, Ohio85%1212$22k$53k65%19,633144 mi 38University of Wisconsin-Green BayGreen Bay, Wisconsin89%1120$13k$53k48%6,3411 mi 39Northeastern Illinois UniversityChicago, Illinois75%—$14k$52k22%3,9823 mi 40Cleveland State UniversityCleveland, Ohio91%—$15k$52k51%8,9691 mi 41University of Wisconsin-Stevens PointStevens Point, Wisconsin92%1150$15k$52k51%7,30675 mi 42Eastern Illinois UniversityCharleston, Illinois65%1000$13k$52k47%4,188155 mi 43Saginaw Valley State UniversityUniversity Center, Michigan72%1052$11k$52k48%5,98912 mi 44Ball State UniversityMuncie, Indiana86%1160$15k$52k62%13,988131 mi 45Eastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti, Michigan80%1066$15k$52k46%10,05524 mi 46University of Wisconsin-ParksideKenosha, Wisconsin75%1090$12k$51k40%2,8442 mi 47University of ToledoToledo, Ohio92%1235$17k$51k57%9,7709 mi 48Indiana University-KokomoKokomo, Indiana86%1065$4k$50k46%2,35296 mi 49University of Wisconsin-SuperiorSuperior, Wisconsin93%1090$12k$50k42%1,8071 mi 50Wright State University-Main CampusDayton, Ohio96%—$15k$50k42%6,762128 mi 51Lake Superior State UniversitySault Ste Marie, Michigan——$13k$49k51%1,3256 mi 52Indiana State UniversityTerre Haute, Indiana81%—$11k$48k43%6,188149 mi 53Purdue University NorthwestHammond, Indiana72%1024$6k$48k43%5,6715 mi 54Bowling Green State University-Main CampusBowling Green, Ohio81%1117$24k$48k64%12,81226 mi 55Indiana University-SoutheastNew Albany, Indiana84%1072$8k$48k39%3,170239 mi 56Indiana University-EastRichmond, Indiana67%1061$8k$47k40%2,589146 mi 57Northern Michigan UniversityMarquette, Michigan84%—$14k$47k52%6,5561 mi 58University of Akron Main CampusAkron, Ohio60%1081$14k$47k52%9,05232 mi 59Purdue University Fort WayneFort Wayne, Indiana84%1100$13k$46k36%5,48495 mi 60Kent State University at KentKent, Ohio86%1099$21k$45k64%19,32031 mi 61Indiana University-South BendSouth Bend, Indiana84%1081$9k$45k40%3,93327 mi 62Indiana University-NorthwestGary, Indiana73%1055$5k$43k37%2,6615 mi 63Chicago State UniversityChicago, Illinois43%—$12k$43k15%1,3844 mi 64Youngstown State UniversityYoungstown, Ohio84%1120$13k$42k50%7,96154 mi 65Shawnee State UniversityPortsmouth, Ohio——$14k$40k48%2,247186 mi 66Central State UniversityWilberforce, Ohio99%—$13k$33k23%2,620128 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.