30 Top Ranking Midwest Colleges and Universities

The Midwest encompasses a wide range of colleges and universities—private and public, urban and rural, large and small, secular and religious. The 30 colleges and universities below were chosen based on a range of factors including retention rates, graduation rates, student engagement, selectivity, and financial aid. The schools are listed alphabetically to avoid the often arbitrary distinctions that separate #1 from #2, and because of the futility of comparing a large research university to a small liberal arts college.

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The 30 colleges and universities in the list below were selected from Midwest states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin.

Albion College

Albion Marching Band. Verybigfish86 / Wikimedia Commons

Location: Albion, Michigan
Enrollment: 1,418 (all undergraduate)
Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
Distinctions: chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; good financial aid; 13 to 1 student / faculty ratio; NCAA Division III athletic program; over 100 student clubs and organizations
For more information and admissions data, visit the Albion College profile

Carleton College

Location: Northfield, Minnesota
Enrollment: 2,105 (all undergraduate)
Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
Distinctions: one of the nation's ten best liberal arts colleges; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; high retention and graduation rate; attractive campus with an 880-acre arboretum; 9 to 1 student / faculty ratio
For more information and admissions data, visit the Carleton College profile

Case Western Reserve University

Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Enrollment: 11,664 (5,152 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: private university
Explore the Campus: Case Western Photo Tour
Distinctions: 9 to 1 student / faculty ratio; member of the Association of American Universities for strong research programs; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences programs; strong engineering programs; one of the top Ohio colleges
For more information and admissions data, visit the Case Western Reserve University profile

College of Wooster

Location: Wooster, Ohio
Enrollment: 2,003 (all undergraduate)
Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
Distinctions: member of the Five Colleges of Ohio Consortium; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences programs; 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio; one of the top Ohio colleges; strong independent study program; NCAA Division III athletic program
For more information and admissions data, visit the College of Wooster profile

Creighton University

Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Enrollment: 8,393 (4,203 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: private Jesuit university
Distinctions: 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio; good financial aid and value; member of the NCAA Division I Big East Conference; one of the country's top Catholic universities
For more information and admissions data, visit the Creighton University profile

Denison University

Location: Granville, Ohio
Enrollment: 2,277 (all undergraduate)
Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
Distinctions: member of the Five Colleges of Ohio Consortium; one of the top Ohio colleges; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; 10 to 1 student / faculty ratio; 900-acre campus includes a 550-acre biological reserve; good financial aid
For more information and admissions data, visit the Denison University profile

DePauw University

Location: Greencastle, Indiana
Enrollment: 2,225 (all undergraduate)
Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
Distinctions: 10 to 1 student / faculty ratio; one of the top Indiana colleges; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; five different honors programs; campus features a 520-acre nature park; good financial aid
For more information and admissions data, visit the DePauw University profile

Grinnell College

Grinnell Main Hall. Aureliusxv / Wikimedia Commons

Location: Grinnell, Iowa
Enrollment: 1,699 (all undergraduate)
Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
Distinctions: 9 to 1 student / faculty ratio; one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; few core requirements; NCAA Division III athletic program
For more information and admissions data, visit the Grinnell College profile

Hope College

Location: Holland, Michigan
Enrollment: 3,234 (all undergraduate)
Type of Institution: private liberal arts college affiliated with the Reformed Church in America
Distinctions: distinguished in Loren Pope's College's That Change Lives; 13 to 1 student / faculty ratio; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; located five miles from Lake Michigan
For more information and admissions data, visit the Hope College profile

Illinois Wesleyan University

Location: Bloomington, Illinois
Enrollment: 1,771 (all undergraduate)
Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
Distinctions: 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 17; high retention and graduation rates; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences
For more information and admissions data, visit the Illinois Wesleyan University profile

Indiana University at Bloomington

Indiana University Tower. prw_silvan / Flickr

Location: Bloomington, Indiana
Enrollment: 49,695 (39,184 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: public research university
Distinctions: chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; membership in the Association of American Universities for research strengths; attractive 2,000-acre campus; Hoosiers compete in the NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference
For more information and admissions data, visit the Indiana University profile

Kalamazoo College

Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Enrollment: 1,443 (all undergraduate)
Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
Distinctions: featured in Loren Pope's Colleges That Change Lives; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; strong student engagement through internships, service-learning and study abroad; located blocks from Western Michigan University
For more information and admissions data, visit the Kalamazoo College profile

Kenyon College

Location: Gambier, Ohio
Enrollment: 1,708 (all undergraduate)
Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
Distinctions: member of the Five Colleges of Ohio Consortium; 10 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 15; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; campus features a 380-acre nature preserve
For more information and admissions data, visit the Kenyon College profile

Luther College

Location: Decorah, Iowa
Enrollment: 2,169 (all undergraduate)
Type of Institution: private liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Distinctions: 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio; chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; institutional emphasis on service; high participation in study abroad; excellent value; NCAA Division III athletic programs
For more information and admissions data, visit the Luther College profile

Macalester College

Location: Saint Paul, Minnesota
Enrollment: 2,146 (all undergraduate)
Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
Distinctions: chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; 10 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 17; diverse student population; high retention and graduation rates; one of the country's best liberal arts colleges; NCAA Division III athletics
For more information and admissions data, visit the Macalester College profile

Marquette University

Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Enrollment: 11,294 (8,238 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: private Catholic university
Distinctions: 14 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average upper-level class size of 25; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; 116 majors and 65 minors; member of the NCAA Division I Big East Conference
For more information and admissions data, visit the Marquette University profile

Miami University, Ohio

Miami University in Oxford. ellievanhoutte / Flickr

Location: Oxford, Ohio
Enrollment: 19,697 (16,981 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: public research university
Distinctions: one of the oldest public universities in the country; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; competes in the NCAA Division I Mid-American Conference; high graduation rate for a Division I school
For more information and admissions data, visit the Miami University profile

Northwestern University

Location: Evanston, Illinois
Enrollment: 21,823 (8,791 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: private research university
Distinctions: one of the most selective of all Illinois colleges; membership in the Association of American Universities for research strengths; one of the top U.S. universities; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; member of the NCAA Division I Big Ten athletic conference
For more information and admissions data, visit the Northwestern University profile

Notre Dame

Location: Notre Dame, Indiana
Enrollment: 12,393 (8,530 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: private Catholic university
Explore the Campus: University of Notre Dame Photo Tour
Distinctions: chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; highly selective admissions; large 1,250-acre campus includes two lakes; excellent graduate school placement; extremely high high graduation rate; many Fighting Irish teams compete in the NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference; one of the top universities and top Catholic universities
For more information and admissions data, visit the Notre Dame profile

Oberlin College

Location: Oberlin, Ohio
Enrollment: 2,912 (2,895 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
Distinctions: member of the Five Colleges of Ohio Consortium; 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio; strong Conservatory of Music; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa; first co-ed college in U.S.; diverse student body
For more information and admissions data, visit the Oberlin College profile

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Location: Terre Haute, Indiana
Enrollment: 2,278 (2,202 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: undergraduate engineering college
Distinctions: often ranked #1 among top undergraduate engineering colleges; 295-acre art-filled campus; 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio; hands-on approach to learning; high job placement rate
For more information and admissions data, visit the Rose-Hulman profile

St. Olaf College

Location: Northfield, Minnesota
Enrollment: 3,040 (all undergraduate)
Type of Institution: private liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Distinctions: chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio; featured in Lauren Pope's Colleges That Change Lives; high graduation and retention rates; good financial aid; NCAA Division III athletics
For more information and admissions data, visit the St. Olaf College profile

Truman State University

Location: Kirksville, Missouri
Enrollment: 6,379 (6,039 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: public liberal arts college
Distinctions: one of the country's top public liberal arts colleges; excellent value; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; 16 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 24; NCAA Division II athletic programs
For more information and admissions data, visit the Truman State University profile

University of Chicago

Location: Chicago, Illinois
Enrollment: 15,775 (6,001 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: private research university
Distinctions: strong first-year student housing system; one of the most selective Illinois colleges; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; member of the Association of American Universities for research strengths; one of the top U.S. universities
Explore the Campus: University of Chicago photo tour
For more information and admissions data, visit the University of Chicago profile

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Location: Urbana and Champaign, Illinois
Enrollment: 46,951 (33,932 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: public research university
Distinctions: one of the top public universities; one of the top engineering schools; member of the Association of American Universities for research strengths; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; member of the NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference
Explore the Campus: UIUC photo tour
For more information and admissions data, visit the UIUC profile

University of Michigan

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Enrollment: 44,718 (28,983 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: public research university
Distinctions: one of the top public universities in the country; membership in the Association of American Universities for strong research programs; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; member of the Big Ten Conference
For more information and admissions data, visit the University of Michigan profile

University of Wisconsin Madison

University of Wisconsin Football. royal broil / Flickr

Location: Madison, Wisconsin
Enrollment: 42,582 (30,958 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: public research university
Distinctions: one of the country's top public universities; member of the Association of American Universities for strong research programs; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; waterfront campus; member of the NCAA Division 1 Big Ten Conference
For more information and admissions data, visit the University of Wisconsin profile

Washington University in St. Louis

Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Enrollment: 15,047 (7,555 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: private research university
Distinctions: most selective and prestigious university in Missouri; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; membership in the Association of American Universities for strong research programs; high retention and graduation rates; residential college system
For more information and admissions data, visit the Washington University profile

Wheaton College, Illinois

Location: Wheaton, Illinois
Enrollment: 2,901 (2,456 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: private Christian liberal arts college
Distinctions: one of the 40 schools featured by Loren Pope in Colleges that Change Lives; 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio; interdenominational with students from over 55 church denominations; highly ranked liberal arts college
For more information and admissions data, visit the Wheaton College profile

Xavier University

Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Enrollment: 6,509 (4,552 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: private Catholic university
Distinctions: one of the country's top Catholic colleges; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; strong preprofessinal programs; Musketeers compete in the NCAA Division I Big East Conference
For more information and admissions data, visit the Xavier University profile

Calculate Your Chances

See if you have the grades and test scores you need to get into one of these top Midwest colleges and universities with this free tool from Cappex: Calculate Your Chances of Getting In