50 Best Colleges in the Midwest

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50 best colleges in the Midwest

Some of the best Midwestern colleges and universities can thank the Morrill Act of 1862 for their existence. This law gave states 30,000 acres of federal land to establish institutions that offered practical and agricultural education to a wider public. Today, many of these land-grant colleges have a history of being powerhouse research institutions, boasting developments like the first internet browser and the performance of the first successful open-heart surgery.

After the 2008 recession, many colleges in the Midwest faced problems of disinvestment; higher education is generally an easy target for budget cuts from state governments looking to save money. In 2024, a wave of schools cutting academic programs and jobs seemed to impact colleges in the Midwest particularly hard. One reason for that is, as Vox points out, private colleges are disproportionately located in the Midwest and Northeast. Private schools are especially vulnerable to cuts since they lack the state government funding their public counterparts can lean on.

An October 2024 analysis published in The Bond Buyer shows that enrollment rates at private Midwest colleges have declined by more than 3% over the past year, in contrast to the average nationwide decrease of 1.84%. But those numbers could soon worsen even further—Midwest schools are expected to hit a steep "enrollment cliff" in 2027 due to lower amounts of high school graduates. Many schools across the region are fighting to attract students away from the coasts and into America's heartland, focusing resources on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education as the "Silicon Prairie" develops. Of course, many of the schools on this list also have a rich tradition of college sports, especially football, which contributes to the rah-rah campus culture.

Using Niche's 2023 Best Colleges in America list, Stacker found the best 50 schools in the Midwest. Niche's rankings use data from the Department of Education on academics, admissions, and student life, along with reviews from current students and alumni. Only colleges located in Midwestern states—Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin—were included.

Click through our list to find which colleges made the cut, and if the top spot went to a big-name football school, a land-grant institution, or a bucolic liberal arts campus.

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#50. Lake Forest College

- Location: Lake Forest, Illinois
- Acceptance rate: 58%
- Net price: $26,968
- SAT range: 1020-1240
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $50,900
- Overall rank: #239

#49. Gustavus Adolphus College

- Location: St. Peter, Minnesota
- Acceptance rate: 71%
- Net price: $26,701
- SAT range: 1080-1340
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $51,700
- Overall rank: #237

#48. Moody Bible Institute

- Location: Chicago, Illinois
- Acceptance rate: 98%
- Net price: $18,790
- SAT range: 990-1200
- Median earnings six years after graduation: No data available
- Overall rank: #236

#47. Hope College

- Location: Holland, Michigan
- Acceptance rate: 78%
- Net price: $30,320
- SAT range: 1130-1330
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $46,200
- Overall rank: #235

#46. Ohio University

- Location: Athens, Ohio
- Acceptance rate: 87%
- Net price: $23,307
- SAT range: 1050-1250
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $40,500
- Overall rank: #234

#45. University of Illinois Chicago

- Location: Chicago, Illinois
- Acceptance rate: 73%
- Net price: $12,614
- SAT range: 1030-1250
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $54,300
- Overall rank: #229

#44. Marquette University

- Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Acceptance rate: 82%
- Net price: $34,732
- SAT range: 1160-1340
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $62,600
- Overall rank: #228

#43. Illinois Wesleyan University

- Location: Bloomington, Illinois
- Acceptance rate: 57%
- Net price: $32,545
- SAT range: 1100-1300
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $59,100
- Overall rank: #222

#42. DePaul University

- Location: Chicago, Illinois
- Acceptance rate: 70%
- Net price: $33,319
- SAT range: 1050-1260
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $53,300
- Overall rank: #213

#41. College of Wooster

- Location: Wooster, Ohio
- Acceptance rate: 65%
- Net price: $27,923
- SAT range: 1150-1380
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $46,300
- Overall rank: #210

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#40. Oberlin College

- Location: Oberlin, Ohio
- Acceptance rate: 35%
- Net price: $42,745
- SAT range: 1270-1360
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $40,800
- Overall rank: #209

#39. University of St. Thomas - Minnesota

- Location: Saint Paul, Minnesota
- Acceptance rate: 87%
- Net price: $31,799
- SAT range: 1130-1340
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $56,800
- Overall rank: #203

#38. Cedarville University

- Location: Cedarville, Ohio
- Acceptance rate: 59%
- Net price: $24,965
- SAT range: 1110-1350
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $41,300
- Overall rank: #199

#37. Lawrence University

- Location: Appleton, Wisconsin
- Acceptance rate: 69%
- Net price: $26,594
- SAT range: 1190-1410
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $44,100
- Overall rank: #198

#36. College of the Ozarks

- Location: Point Lookout, Missouri
- Acceptance rate: 14%
- Net price: $7,505
- SAT range: 1090-1240
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $32,500
- Overall rank: #194

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#35. South Dakota School of Mines & Technology

- Location: Rapid City, South Dakota
- Acceptance rate: 86%
- Net price: $19,799
- SAT range: 1150-1350
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $56,500
- Overall rank: #188

#34. Kansas State University

- Location: Manhattan, Kansas
- Acceptance rate: 95%
- Net price: $18,494
- SAT range: —
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $45,600
- Overall rank: #185

#33. Drake University

- Location: Des Moines, Iowa
- Acceptance rate: 68%
- Net price: $30,321
- SAT range: 1110-1340
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $58,300
- Overall rank: #182

#32. Andrews University

- Location: Berrien Springs, Michigan
- Acceptance rate: 49%
- Net price: $22,850
- SAT range: 1030-1380
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $45,200
- Overall rank: #180

#31. DePauw University

- Location: Greencastle, Indiana
- Acceptance rate: 68%
- Net price: $30,183
- SAT range: 1110-1360
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $54,000
- Overall rank: #177

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#30. University of Missouri

- Location: Columbia, Missouri
- Acceptance rate: 82%
- Net price: $16,930
- SAT range: 1110-1320
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $48,300
- Overall rank: #156

#29. The University of Kansas

- Location: Lawrence, Kansas
- Acceptance rate: 91%
- Net price: $20,054
- SAT range: 1070-1320
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $48,800
- Overall rank: #155

#28. Wabash College

- Location: Crawfordsville, Indiana
- Acceptance rate: 63%
- Net price: $24,412
- SAT range: 1120-1320
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $56,300
- Overall rank: #153

#27. University of Dayton

- Location: Dayton, Ohio
- Acceptance rate: 81%
- Net price: $32,768
- SAT range: 1080-1300
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $55,100
- Overall rank: #150

#26. Denison University

- Location: Granville, Ohio
- Acceptance rate: 28%
- Net price: $39,808
- SAT range: 1220-1430
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $48,800
- Overall rank: #142

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#25. St. Olaf College

- Location: Northfield, Minnesota
- Acceptance rate: 51%
- Net price: $27,838
- SAT range: 1150-1390
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $50,400
- Overall rank: #140

#24. Iowa State University

- Location: Ames, Iowa
- Acceptance rate: 88%
- Net price: $16,105
- SAT range: 1010-1310
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $50,700
- Overall rank: #133

#23. Saint Louis University

- Location: St. Louis, Missouri
- Acceptance rate: 56%
- Net price: $27,872
- SAT range: 1160-1370
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $56,500
- Overall rank: #132

#22. University of Cincinnati

- Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
- Acceptance rate: 76%
- Net price: $22,767
- SAT range: 1120-1330
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $42,300
- Overall rank: #131

#21. Wheaton College - Illinois

- Location: Wheaton, Illinois
- Acceptance rate: 87%
- Net price: $27,474
- SAT range: 1210-1450
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $48,400
- Overall rank: #125

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#20. University of Iowa

- Location: Iowa City, Iowa
- Acceptance rate: 84%
- Net price: $17,452
- SAT range: 1110-1310
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $51,900
- Overall rank: #123

#19. Michigan Technological University

- Location: Houghton, Michigan
- Acceptance rate: 70%
- Net price: $17,356
- SAT range: 1160-1350
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $66,400
- Overall rank: #114

#18. Indiana University - Bloomington

- Location: Bloomington, Indiana
- Acceptance rate: 80%
- Net price: $13,191
- SAT range: 1120-1350
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $47,700
- Overall rank: #113

#17. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

- Location: Terre Haute, Indiana
- Acceptance rate: 77%
- Net price: $43,606
- SAT range: 1260-1460
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $80,900
- Overall rank: #109

#16. Michigan State University

- Location: East Lansing, Michigan
- Acceptance rate: 76%
- Net price: $16,655
- SAT range: 1100-1300
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $53,600
- Overall rank: #103

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#15. University of Minnesota Twin Cities

- Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Acceptance rate: 70%
- Net price: $17,729
- SAT range: 1240-1460
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $51,900
- Overall rank: #92

#14. Kenyon College

- Location: Gambier, Ohio
- Acceptance rate: 37%
- Net price: $40,862
- SAT range: 1280-1460
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $48,700
- Overall rank: #87

#13. Macalester College

- Location: Saint Paul, Minnesota
- Acceptance rate: 39%
- Net price: $35,589
- SAT range: 1280-1450
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $47,600
- Overall rank: #84

#12. The Ohio State University

- Location: Columbus, Ohio
- Acceptance rate: 68%
- Net price: $18,884
- SAT range: 1210-1430
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $46,100
- Overall rank: #80

#11. Purdue University

- Location: West Lafayette, Indiana
- Acceptance rate: 67%
- Net price: $12,294
- SAT range: 1170-1420
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $55,100
- Overall rank: #79

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#10. Carleton College

- Location: Northfield, Minnesota
- Acceptance rate: 21%
- Net price: $30,843
- SAT range: 1330-1520
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $54,200
- Overall rank: #77

#9. Grinnell College

- Location: Grinnell, Iowa
- Acceptance rate: 19%
- Net price: $32,091
- SAT range: 1370-1540
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $49,100
- Overall rank: #73

#8. Case Western Reserve University

- Location: Cleveland, Ohio
- Acceptance rate: 30%
- Net price: $36,002
- SAT range: 1340-1520
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $74,600
- Overall rank: #65

#7. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

- Location: Urbana, Illinois
- Acceptance rate: 63%
- Net price: $13,517
- SAT range: 1200-1460
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $61,500
- Overall rank: #59

#6. University of Wisconsin

- Location: Madison, Wisconsin
- Acceptance rate: 57%
- Net price: $14,030
- SAT range: 1260-1460
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $56,200
- Overall rank: #53

#5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

- Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Acceptance rate: 26%
- Net price: $17,832
- SAT range: 1340-1520
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $63,400
- Overall rank: #25

#4. University of Notre Dame

- Location: Notre Dame, Indiana
- Acceptance rate: 19%
- Net price: $29,981
- SAT range: 1400-1550
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $78,400
- Overall rank: #19

#3. University of Chicago

- Location: Chicago, Illinois
- Acceptance rate: 7%
- Net price: $36,584
- SAT range: 1500-1570
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $68,100
- Overall rank: #16

#2. Washington University in St. Louis

- Location: Saint Louis, Missouri
- Acceptance rate: 16%
- Net price: $27,233
- SAT range: 1480-1560
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $70,100
- Overall rank: #15

#1. Northwestern University

- Location: Evanston, Illinois
- Acceptance rate: 9%
- Net price: $28,344
- SAT range: 1430-1550
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $69,000
- Overall rank: #14

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