50 best colleges in the Midwest

Published 3:45 pm Wednesday, February 22, 2023

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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; however, some states have begun to make up ground. For example, in 2019, Illinois passed a new budget with significant increases in funding for many colleges and universities across the state. 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.

America’s heartland claims several well-respected institutions of higher education, including famed public research universities and renowned small liberal arts colleges. 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.

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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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Exterior shot of Lake Forest College and Reid Hall.

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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

C. Charles Jackson Campus Center on the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College.

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#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

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Moody Bible Institute, Crowell Hall with archway under a blue sky.

#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

A sign for Hope College surrounded by flowers with historic buildings in the background.

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#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

The Ohio University campus with a green lawn.

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#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

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A University of Illinois at Chicago blue sign.

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#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

An old stone church undergoing renovations on Marquette University campus.

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#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

A large brick library with glass windows in the front.

EmilyMarvin // Wikimedia Commons

#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

A historic brown stone ornate building.

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#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

A stone castle-like structure.

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#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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A gray stone round building.

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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

A large courtyard with university buildings lining the sides.

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#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

A red brick building with large windows.

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#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

An aerial view of a large university campus.

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#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

A white stone sign for College of the Ozarks.

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#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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Dinosaur fossils at the museum at South Dakota School of Mines.

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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

A historic white stone building.

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#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

A red brick entrance wall and black sign for Drake University.

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#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

College students walking together.

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#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

A historic gray stone building.

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#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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A large historic brick builing with large columns on the lawn in front and a lit stone sign and flowers in the foreground.

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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

A rectangular stone sign for University of Kansas.

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#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

A large green lawn with a red brick building and a tall white clocktower.

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#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

Several large dark red brick buildings with white trim and a clocktower.

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#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

A tree-lined path leading to a red brick building with a tower.

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#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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A historic red and black building with an American flag on top.

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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

A large green lawn full of students with a clocktower.

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#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

A large brick and iron arch sign for Saint Louis University.

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#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

A long brick building.

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#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

Looking up at a historic building with a white ornate top.

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#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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A large greek style stone building with columns.

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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

A stone sign for Michigan Tech surrounded by greenery.

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#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

A historic stone building with a red clock in the courtyard.

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#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

A brick building with a modern glass front.

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#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

A round glass building with a Michigan State University sign in front.

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#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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A brick building with a University of Minnesota sign in front.

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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

A long four story stone building with windows.

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#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

A brick building in the snow.

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#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

A brick building with a clocktower on top.

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#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

A large archway entrance sign to Purdue University.

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#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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A brick building with a silver dome on top.

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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

The Grinnell College entrance sign.

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#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

A large stone building with a Case Western Reserve University sign in front.

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#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

A brick building with a large green dome on top.

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#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

Tall stone steps leading up to a brick building.

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#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

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A blue sign for University of Michigan.

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#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

An aerial view of Notre Dame campus with a gold dome on top.

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#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

A University of Chicago sign.

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#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

A large historic brick building.

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#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

A gothic looking stone building.

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#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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