Best Public Universities in the Midwest

Best Public Universities 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 114 colleges in the ranking. Search and filter the list.

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1University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, Michigan16%1465$13k$84k93%34,17730 mi 2Missouri University of Science and TechnologyRolla, Missouri73%1317$16k$83k64%5,521344 mi 3University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, Illinois42%1440$14k$81k85%36,258115 mi 4Michigan Technological UniversityHoughton, Michigan92%1258$14k$78k68%5,9551 mi 5University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, Wisconsin45%1427$17k$74k90%36,90276 mi 6Purdue University-Main CampusWest Lafayette, Indiana50%1364$15k$72k83%44,50385 mi 7South Dakota School of Mines and TechnologyRapid City, South Dakota80%1245$20k$72k53%2,071569 mi 8University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesMinneapolis, Minnesota80%1362$17k$69k85%31,855134 mi 9University of Illinois ChicagoChicago, Illinois77%1250$11k$69k62%22,1702 mi 10Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, Michigan85%1269$20k$67k81%40,92271 mi 11University of IowaIowa City, Iowa84%1200$23k$65k75%22,264195 mi 12Metropolitan State UniversitySaint Paul, Minnesota99%1020$17k$65k44%5,616131 mi 13Indiana University-BloomingtonBloomington, Indiana78%1313$16k$64k80%37,806174 mi 14University of North DakotaGrand Forks, North Dakota77%—$19k$64k60%9,981245 mi 15University of Missouri-ColumbiaColumbia, Missouri78%1247$20k$63k75%23,929318 mi 16Iowa State UniversityAmes, Iowa89%1204$19k$63k75%25,367299 mi 17University of Minnesota-DuluthDuluth, Minnesota89%1251$19k$63k65%7,336< 1 mi 18North Dakota State University-Main CampusFargo, North Dakota95%1150$16k$62k64%9,471222 mi 19Illinois State UniversityNormal, Illinois88%1113$19k$62k65%19,057113 mi 20University of KansasLawrence, Kansas93%1190$18k$62k69%21,217448 mi 21University of Wisconsin-PlattevillePlatteville, Wisconsin89%1190$16k$62k56%5,837132 mi 22Ohio State University-Main CampusColumbus, Ohio61%1387$17k$60k88%45,63899 mi 23University of Wisconsin-La CrosseLa Crosse, Wisconsin76%1220$16k$60k71%9,277167 mi 24University of Michigan-DearbornDearborn, Michigan56%1115$9k$60k58%5,9526 mi 25University of Missouri-Kansas CityKansas City, Missouri72%1204$13k$60k55%6,817415 mi 26Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, Michigan88%1120$9k$59k58%12,35126 mi 27University of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireEau Claire, Wisconsin82%1220$17k$59k64%8,895127 mi 28Winona State UniversityWinona, Minnesota75%—$18k$59k57%5,144180 mi 29Governors State UniversityUniversity Park, Illinois48%—$12k$58k22%2,55621 mi 30University of Wisconsin-StoutMenomonie, Wisconsin88%1150$17k$58k55%5,842126 mi 31University of Minnesota-CrookstonCrookston, Minnesota88%—$12k$58k50%1,729222 mi 32Northern Illinois UniversityDekalb, Illinois70%—$13k$58k49%11,30153 mi 33Kansas State UniversityManhattan, Kansas82%1151$19k$57k71%15,142505 mi 34University of Illinois SpringfieldSpringfield, Illinois86%1102$10k$57k53%2,263176 mi 35Minnesota State University-MankatoMankato, Minnesota88%1150$19k$57k54%11,703201 mi 36University of Nebraska-LincolnLincoln, Nebraska87%1191$18k$57k67%19,178469 mi 37Southern Illinois University EdwardsvilleEdwardsville, Illinois98%1100$15k$56k57%8,750240 mi 38Truman State UniversityKirksville, Missouri84%1320$13k$56k69%2,513283 mi 39Grand Valley State UniversityAllendale, Michigan83%1074$16k$56k67%18,85417 mi 40Central Michigan UniversityMount Pleasant, Michigan90%1091$18k$56k59%10,03543 mi 41Saint Cloud State UniversitySaint Cloud, Minnesota95%1092$14k$56k40%5,088129 mi 42University of Wisconsin-OshkoshOshkosh, Wisconsin87%1090$14k$56k46%6,87742 mi 43University of Wisconsin-WhitewaterWhitewater, Wisconsin86%1050$14k$55k59%9,40545 mi 44Indiana University-IndianapolisIndianapolis, Indiana76%1139$12k$55k54%13,830139 mi 45University of Northern IowaCedar Falls, Iowa93%1122$16k$55k68%7,529234 mi 46Miami University-OxfordOxford, Ohio75%1317$28k$55k80%16,656161 mi 47Miami University-HamiltonHamilton, Ohio——$11k$55k25%2,043164 mi 48South Dakota State UniversityBrookings, South Dakota98%1120$20k$55k62%9,198282 mi 49University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeMilwaukee, Wisconsin91%1090$15k$55k49%16,758< 1 mi 50University of Cincinnati-Main CampusCincinnati, Ohio85%1282$26k$55k75%29,882178 mi 51Ferris State UniversityBig Rapids, Michigan91%1012$9k$55k47%8,10648 mi 52University of Wisconsin-River FallsRiver Falls, Wisconsin82%1150$14k$54k57%4,205131 mi 53Western Illinois UniversityMacomb, Illinois71%—$13k$54k45%4,410186 mi 54University of Nebraska at OmahaOmaha, Nebraska87%1120$13k$54k47%11,488425 mi 55Bemidji State UniversityBemidji, Minnesota56%1090$15k$54k48%3,139139 mi 56Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo, Michigan85%—$15k$54k58%12,56836 mi 57Wayne State UniversityDetroit, Michigan81%1156$13k$53k58%15,5874 mi 58Southern Illinois University-CarbondaleCarbondale, Illinois87%1055$13k$53k62%8,494288 mi 59University of Michigan-FlintFlint, Michigan70%1102$7k$53k40%4,41141 mi 60University of Missouri-St LouisSaint Louis, Missouri63%1199$15k$53k57%5,024254 mi 61Ohio University-Main CampusAthens, Ohio85%1212$22k$53k65%19,633144 mi 62University of Wisconsin-Green BayGreen Bay, Wisconsin89%1120$13k$53k48%6,3411 mi 63Northeastern Illinois UniversityChicago, Illinois75%—$14k$52k22%3,9823 mi 64Cleveland State UniversityCleveland, Ohio91%—$15k$52k51%8,9691 mi 65University of Wisconsin-Stevens PointStevens Point, Wisconsin92%1150$15k$52k51%7,30675 mi 66Eastern Illinois UniversityCharleston, Illinois65%1000$13k$52k47%4,188155 mi 67Saginaw Valley State UniversityUniversity Center, Michigan72%1052$11k$52k48%5,98912 mi 68University of South DakotaVermillion, South Dakota99%1125$20k$52k60%5,439362 mi 69Ball State UniversityMuncie, Indiana86%1160$15k$52k62%13,988131 mi 70Eastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti, Michigan80%1066$15k$52k46%10,05524 mi 71Minot State UniversityMinot, North Dakota65%1051$13k$52k45%2,062440 mi 72Wichita State UniversityWichita, Kansas94%1092$13k$52k51%10,780565 mi 73Southwest Minnesota State UniversityMarshall, Minnesota62%1050$15k$51k45%2,315238 mi 74University of Wisconsin-ParksideKenosha, Wisconsin75%1090$12k$51k40%2,8442 mi 75Dakota State UniversityMadison, South Dakota88%1215$21k$51k51%2,071308 mi 76Dickinson State UniversityDickinson, North Dakota37%—$14k$51k51%1,090505 mi 77University of ToledoToledo, Ohio92%1235$17k$51k57%9,7709 mi 78Pittsburg State UniversityPittsburg, Kansas89%1050$16k$51k57%4,210486 mi 79Minnesota State University MoorheadMoorhead, Minnesota59%1090$18k$51k57%3,072220 mi 80University of Nebraska at KearneyKearney, Nebraska89%1118$16k$50k58%4,088544 mi 81Indiana University-KokomoKokomo, Indiana86%1065$4k$50k46%2,35296 mi 82Missouri State University-SpringfieldSpringfield, Missouri91%1122$18k$50k58%13,313438 mi 83Washburn UniversityTopeka, Kansas——$15k$50k53%4,562468 mi 84University of Wisconsin-SuperiorSuperior, Wisconsin93%1090$12k$50k42%1,8071 mi 85University of Central MissouriWarrensburg, Missouri64%1050$14k$50k54%5,648386 mi 86Wright State University-Main CampusDayton, Ohio96%—$15k$50k42%6,762128 mi 87Lake Superior State UniversitySault Ste Marie, Michigan——$13k$49k51%1,3256 mi 88Fort Hays State UniversityHays, Kansas90%1089$13k$49k48%9,733648 mi 89Indiana State UniversityTerre Haute, Indiana81%—$11k$48k43%6,188149 mi 90Purdue University NorthwestHammond, Indiana72%1024$6k$48k43%5,6715 mi 91Bowling Green State University-Main CampusBowling Green, Ohio81%1117$24k$48k64%12,81226 mi 92Northwest Missouri State UniversityMaryville, Missouri86%1119$16k$48k54%4,378389 mi 93Northern State UniversityAberdeen, South Dakota93%1089$16k$48k49%1,273318 mi 94Emporia State UniversityEmporia, Kansas98%1120$16k$48k56%2,239511 mi 95Indiana University-SoutheastNew Albany, Indiana84%1072$8k$48k39%3,170239 mi 96Indiana University-EastRichmond, Indiana67%1061$8k$47k40%2,589146 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.