Exploring the Mid-American Conference and Its Members

The 12 Member Universities in the NCAA Division I Mid-American Conference

By
Allen Grove
Allen Grove
College Admissions Expert
  • Ph.D., English, University of Pennsylvania
  • M.A., English, University of Pennsylvania
  • B.S., Materials Science & Engineering and Literature, MIT
Dr. Allen Grove is an Alfred University English professor and a college admissions expert with over 20 years of experience helping students transition to college.
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Updated on May 14, 2019

The Mid-American Conference is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, and most members are from the Great Lakes region. All members are public universities, and the schools have notable academic programs to complement their NCAA Division I athletics. Admissions criteria vary widely between average ACT and SAT scores as well as acceptance rates and financial aid information.

01
of 12

Akron

university of akron

 Erik Drost/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY 2.0

Located on 222 acres in metropolitan Akron, the University of Akron has many strengths in engineering and business. The university recently completed a major project of expanding and upgrading campus facilities.

02
of 12

Ball State

Ball State University

 Momoneymoproblemz/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0

Located about an hour from Indianapolis, Ball State University has many popular pre-professional programs in fields such as business, education, communications, and nursing. The Communications and Media Building is named after the school's most famous alumnus, David Letterman.

  • Location: Muncie, Indiana
  • School type: Public University
  • Enrollment: 21,998 (17,011 undergraduates)
  • Team: Cardinals
03
of 12

Bowling Green

Bowling Green State University

 Mbrickn/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0

Located a half hour south of Toledo, Ohio, Bowling Green State University has strengths in many academic areas including business, education, and popular culture studies. Strengths in the liberal arts and sciences earned BGSU a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.

04
of 12

Buffalo

University at Buffalo

  Fortunate4now/Wikimedia Commons/CC0

The University at Buffalo is the largest member of the State University of New York system. Its strengths in research earned it membership into the Association of American Universities.

05
of 12

Central Michigan

Central Michigan University

 Cjh1452000/Wikimedia Commons/CC0

Central Michigan University offers some notable programs including microscopy and meteorology, and the school can boast of the country's first accredited athletic training program and the country's largest leisure studies program.

  • Location: Mount Pleasant, Michigan
  • School type: Public University
  • Enrollment: 25,986 (19,877 undergraduates)
  • Team: Chippewas
06
of 12

Eastern Michigan

Eastern Michigan University

 Carptrash/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0

Eastern Michigan has some well-regarded programs in business, forensics, and education, and the university also wins high marks for its African-American graduation numbers. Students participate in over 340 clubs and organizations.

  • Location: Ypsilanti, Michigan
  • School type: Public University
  • Enrollment: 21,246 (17,682 undergraduates)
  • Team: Eagles
07
of 12

Kent State

Kent State University

 JonRidinger/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0

Kent State can boast of a chapter of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society for its strengths in the liberal arts and sciences, but business administration, nursing, and psychology are the most popular undergraduate majors.

08
of 12

Northern Illinois

Northern Illinois University

 Alexbaumgarner/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0

Northern Illinois University is located 65 miles from downtown Chicago, and it is the second largest university in Illinois. The business program is both popular and well regarded. High achieving students should look into the Honors Program.

09
of 12

Ohio

Ohio University

Agrimes/Wikimedia Commons/CC0

 

Established in 1804, Ohio University is the oldest public university in Ohio and one of the oldest in the country. The Scripps College of Communication wins high marks for its quality, and its programs are extremely popular among undergraduates.

10
of 12

Toledo

University of Toledo

 Xurxo/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0

Since its merger with the Medical University of Ohio, Toledo's programs in the health sciences have really taken off. The university also wins high marks for its diversity, and it ranks among the best colleges for African-American students.

  • Location: Toledo, Ohio
  • School type: Public University
  • Enrollment: 20,615 (16,223 undergraduates)
  • Team: Rockets
11
of 12

Western Michigan

Western Michigan University Library
Michigan Municipal League / Flickr

Western Michigan University frequently ranks among the top 100 public universities in the country. Business is the most popular undergraduate field, but for its strengths in the liberal arts and sciences, Western Michigan University was awarded a chapter of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.

  • Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan
  • School type: Public University
  • Enrollment: 23,227 (18,313 undergraduates)
  • Team: Broncos
12
of 12

Miami OH

Founded in 1809, Miami University is one of the oldest public universities in the country. The school does well in national rankings of public universities, and its strengths in the liberal arts and sciences earned it a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.

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Grove, Allen. "Exploring the Mid-American Conference and Its Members." ThoughtCo, Oct. 29, 2020, thoughtco.com/mid-american-conference-787006. Grove, Allen. (2020, October 29). Exploring the Mid-American Conference and Its Members. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/mid-american-conference-787006 Grove, Allen. "Exploring the Mid-American Conference and Its Members." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/mid-american-conference-787006 (accessed March 24, 2023).