--- title: Best Colleges in the Midwest description: Money's rankings look at graduation rates, typical costs and alumni salaries to find top schools. These are the best colleges in the Midwest. authors: - name: Giulia Pines url: https://money.com/author/giulia-pines/ at_money_since: 2020 articles: 13 covers: - Education - Business - Career Advice - Economy and Politics - Loans - Personal Finance former_staff: true editors: - name: Kaitlin Mulhere role: Editor url: https://money.com/author/kaitlin-mulhere/ bio: Kaitlin Mulhere is an editor at Money.com. Since joining in 2015, she’s written and edited about a variety of personal finance topics, including banks, credit, student debt, saving strategies and more. education: University of Florida at_money_since: 2015 articles: 217 covers: - Education - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Debt - Economy and Politics - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes social: - https://twitter.com/KMulhere - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaitlin-mulhere-64503048/ published: '2022-05-16T13:00:17.000Z' modified: '2024-04-17T13:12:07.000Z' section: Education tags: - Best colleges - College word_count: 1065 canonical: https://money.com/2022-best-colleges-in-the-midwest/ type: Article source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![University Michigan Ann Arbor Campus](https://img.money.com/2022/05/Best-Colleges-Midwest-2022-University-Michigan-Ann-Arbor-Feature.jpg?crop=0px%2C94px%2C1814px%2C1020px&quality=85) The Midwest dominates when it comes to big research universities. Topping the list, the University of Michigan has been ranked the top-spending public research university by the National Science Foundation since 2010. Just beneath it at the number two spot, Northwestern University entices students with its stellar academics and beautiful campus overlooking Lake Michigan. Tuition fees, average financial aid, student and parent borrowing, and loan repayment rates all come into play in Money’s [2022 Best College rankings](https://money.com/best-colleges/). But beyond affordability, we also take into account graduation rates and average earnings after college to build a list of schools that are solid educational and financial decisions. (You can read the full breakdown of [how we ranked the 2022 Best Colleges here](https://money.com/best-colleges/methodology/).) UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute [found that](https://www.heri.ucla.edu/monographs/TheAmericanFreshman2019.pdf) more than eight in 10 freshmen at four-year colleges attend a college that's within 500 miles of their home. In other words: chances are good that if you grew up in the Midwest, you’ll attend a college that's there, too. Here’s a breakdown of the top 10 colleges in the region. See the full Best Colleges in the Midwest here. ![4/30/2022 General Commencement](https://img.money.com/2022/05/Best-Colleges-Midwest-2022-University-Michigan-Ann-Arbor.jpg) - **Location:** Ann Arbor, Michigan - **Estimated price with average grant:** $18,800 - **Graduation rate:** 92% - **Early career earnings:** $75,840 The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor offers a great deal on tuition for in-state students (Michiganders pay just over $15,000 per fall/winter term as freshmen and sophomores), an award-winning faculty that prides itself on teaching, and even an alumni association with a club charter on the moon. Sports permeate campus life, but for non-athletes, there are countless clubs and opportunities for civic engagement. ### 2\. Northwestern University ![Students at the Evanston Campus at Northwestern University](https://img.money.com/2022/05/Best-Colleges-Midwest-2022-Northwestern-University.jpg) - **Location:** Evanston, Illinois - **Estimated price with average grant:** $29,900 - **Graduation rate:** 95% - **Early career earnings:** $80,030 Northwestern’s campus in Evanston, Illinois is divided between the creative arts and journalism students on its south end and the engineering and pre-professional schools to the north. Northwestern has the resources and size of a Big Ten school, but fosters a feeling of community among its diverse student body. Social life centers on the active Greek scene, as well as the attractions of downtown Chicago, a quick L ride away. ### 3\. University of Notre Dame ![Students gather on the Library Quad at University of Notre Dame, where Food Trucks served food following Opening Mass](https://img.money.com/2022/05/Best-Colleges-Midwest-2022-University-Notre-Dame.jpg) - **Location:** Notre Dame, Indiana - **Estimated price with average grant:** $31,700 - **Graduation rate:** 97% - **Early career earnings:** $88,960 Notre Dame is highly selective, reporting that almost 90% of its students were in the top 10% of their high school classes. And while the university may be best known for its humanities and business programs, it's also strong in the sciences, with an especially grueling pre-med track. Sports are a big part of the university's social life, but nearby South Bend also has plenty of museums, shops and restaurants. ### 4\. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ![Students cheer at sporting event at The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign](https://img.money.com/2022/05/Best-Colleges-Midwest-2022-University-Illinois-Urbana-Champaign.jpg) - **Location:** Champaign, Illinois - **Estimated price with average grant:** $14,300 - **Graduation rate:** 84% - **Early career earnings:** $71,540 The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has been recognized for its high research spending, and it offers more than 150 majors, including bioengineering, community health, media and cinema studies, and special education. Students have access to the country's second largest university library system (after Harvard), and the university has also garnered notice in recent years for its many international students, especially from Asia. ### 5\. University of Wisconsin-Madison ![Students follow along with the lecture on their laptop computers on the first day of Chemistry 103 in Agricultural Hall at the University of Wisconsin-Madison](https://img.money.com/2022/05/Best-Colleges-Midwest-2022-University-Wisconsin-Madison.jpg) - **Location:** Madison, Wisconsin - **Estimated price with average grant:** $ 14,800 - **Graduation rate:** 87% - **Early career earnings:** $65,210 The University of Wisconsin-Madison offers its 48,000 students an eclectic arts scene, grade-A athletics, a charming college town on Lake Mendota and a strong Greek community. The school’s great academics include a truly mind-boggling array of choices: students have more than 9,000 courses and 230 majors and certificates to pick from, with notably prestigious business and engineering programs. ![Students at the commencement ceremony at Washington University in St. Louis](https://img.money.com/2022/05/Best-Colleges-Midwest-2022-Washington-University-St.-Louis.jpg) - **Location:** St. Louis, Missouri - **Estimated price with average grant:** $ 28,800 - **Graduation rate:** 94% - **Early career earnings:** $82,730 Academics are rigorous at this private research university, and competition is fierce, especially among students in the popular engineering, social sciences and business programs. But WashU also has a thriving social scene, with praiseworthy campus amenities, including the food, dorms and the Loop — an area within walking distance of campus offering restaurants, a movie theater and shopping, plus nightlife. ### 7\. St. Olaf College ![St. Olaf College campus](https://img.money.com/2022/05/Best-Colleges-Midwest-2022-St-Olaf-College.jpg) - **Location:** Northfield, Minnesota - **Estimated price with average grant:** $29,400 - **Graduation rate:** 86% - **Early career earnings:** $60,240 Founded by Norwegian Lutheran immigrants, St. Olaf College is particularly well-known for its music department, but the liberal arts school offers a broad range of majors (biology, economics, psychology and chemistry have been popular recently). Every student must complete the general education core, and even in (very) cold winters, students find plenty of ways to keep busy indoors with clubs, performing arts groups and service organizations. ### 8\. Iowa State University ![Students in a laboratory classroom at Iowa State University](https://img.money.com/2022/05/Best-Colleges-Midwest-2022-Iowa-State-University.jpg) - **Location:** Ames, Iowa - **Estimated price with average grant:** $17,000 - **Graduation rate:** 74% - **Early career earnings:** $57,350 Iowa State University has an excellent agricultural college, but its math and science departments are among the best at any state university. It’s also a leader in virtual reality, with a research center that it says is "aimed broadly at enhancing the productivity and creativity of people.” Some of its 35,000 students come from around the world to study, though more than half of undergrads are Iowan. ### 9\. University of Chicago ![Student studying at the University of Chicago library](https://img.money.com/2022/05/Best-Colleges-Midwest-University-Of-Chicago.jpg) - **Location:** Chicago - **Estimated price with average grant:** $38,600 - **Graduation rate:** 94% - **Early career earnings:** $76,730 UChicago has a reputation for academic intensity, with all undergraduates taking a rigorous liberal arts core curriculum where A's are hard to come by. The student body is intellectual and prides itself on being so: Many credit the school with teaching them to think critically. Nearby Downtown Chicago is an important part of university life, providing job, internship and volunteer opportunities, plus athletic and cultural activities. ### 10\. Saint John's University ![Teacher and students in a classroom at Saint John's University](https://img.money.com/2022/05/Best-Colleges-Midwest-2022-Saint-Johns-University.jpg) - **Location:** Collegeville, Minnesota - **Estimated price with average grant:** $29,700 - **Graduation rate:** 75% - **Early career earnings:** $68,720 Saint John's University is a Catholic school for men that partners with a nearby women's school, College of Saint Benedict. Popular options among the school's 37 majors and 40 minors include global business leadership, biology and accounting. Cheering on the Division III football team is a highlight of the college experience, and a campus surrounded by forests and lakes inspires the student body to value outdoor recreation. [The Best Colleges in America, Ranked by Value](https://money.com/best-colleges/) [How to Pay for College](https://money.com/how-to-pay-for-college/) [How to Choose a College](https://money.com/how-to-choose-a-college/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://money.com/2022-best-colleges-in-the-midwest/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://money.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Education", "item": "https://money.com/education/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Colleges and Universities", "item": "https://money.com/colleges-and-universities/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Best Colleges in the Midwest" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://money.com/#website", "url": "https://money.com", "name": "Money", "publisher": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://money.com/2022-best-colleges-in-the-midwest/#webpage", "url": "https://money.com/2022-best-colleges-in-the-midwest/", "name": "Best Colleges in the Midwest", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://money.com/#website" }, "datePublished": "2022-05-16T13:00:17.000Z", "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://money.com/2022-best-colleges-in-the-midwest/" }, "inLanguage": "en-US", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://money.com/2022-best-colleges-in-the-midwest/#breadcrumb" }, "dateModified": "2024-04-17T13:12:07.000Z" }, { "@type": "Article", "headline": "Best Colleges in the Midwest", "articleSection": "Education", "image": [ { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2022/05/Best-Colleges-Midwest-2022-University-Michigan-Ann-Arbor-Feature.jpg?crop=0px%2C94px%2C1814px%2C1020px&quality=85", "width": 1012, "height": 569, "caption": "Best-Colleges-Midwest-2022-University-Michigan-Ann-Arbor-Feature" }, { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2022/05/Best-Colleges-Midwest-2022-University-Michigan-Ann-Arbor.jpg", "width": 800, "height": 373 }, { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2022/05/Best-Colleges-Midwest-2022-Northwestern-University.jpg", "width": 800, "height": 391 }, { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2022/05/Best-Colleges-Midwest-2022-University-Notre-Dame.jpg", "width": 800, "height": 380 }, { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2022/05/Best-Colleges-Midwest-2022-University-Illinois-Urbana-Champaign.jpg", "width": 800, "height": 373 }, { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2022/05/Best-Colleges-Midwest-2022-University-Wisconsin-Madison.jpg", "width": 800, "height": 373 }, { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2022/05/Best-Colleges-Midwest-2022-Washington-University-St.-Louis.jpg", "width": 800, "height": 373 }, { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2022/05/Best-Colleges-Midwest-2022-St-Olaf-College.jpg", "width": 800, "height": 373 }, { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2022/05/Best-Colleges-Midwest-2022-Iowa-State-University.jpg", "width": 800, "height": 373 }, { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2022/05/Best-Colleges-Midwest-University-Of-Chicago.jpg", "width": 800, "height": 373 }, { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2022/05/Best-Colleges-Midwest-2022-Saint-Johns-University.jpg", "width": 800, "height": 373 } ], "author": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Giulia Pines", "url": "https://money.com/author/giulia-pines/", "@id": "https://money.com/author/giulia-pines/#author" } ], "publisher": "https://money.com/#organization", "datePublished": "2022-05-16T13:00:17.000Z", "description": "Money's rankings look at graduation rates, typical costs and alumni salaries to find top schools. 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