
The Consensus Best Regional Universities-Midwest ranking from College Consensus uses our exclusive method to bring students a clear and straightforward view of the Midwestern universities that have earned their reputation. That means impressing the experts, and giving students something to crow about. Our aggregate ranking gathers all of the rankings and reviews fit to print into an overall score that says once and for all which universities measure up.
How Do We Rank the Best Regional Universities in the Midwest?
The College Consensus method is refreshingly simple. We take all of the rankings published by reputable names like U.S. News & World Report, The Wall Street Journal, and WalletHub, and put them together into the Publisher Rating. Then, we comb trustworthy student review sites like My Plan and Students Review to compute an overall Student Reviews rating. Those aggregate numbers come together to form the College Consensus.
Just like in entertainment and politics, in education it seems like the East Coast and the West Coast dominate everyone’s attention. But the Midwest has some of the highest-ranked, most trusted, and most-loved universities in the nation. The Best Regional Universities-Midwest ranking from College Consensus highlights those sites of excellence. The Midwest’s best regional universities are master’s-level institutions that help educate and train the region’s professionals and workers, from teachers to police officers to accountants. These are the universities that make the Midwest work.
What’s Different About the College Consensus Ranking?
Our goal with College Consensus is just as simple as our method. We intend to make sure that prospective students know exactly what they’re getting into, by giving them all the information we can in a concise, digestible form. The numbers don’t lie, and by gathering all the numbers that count, College Consensus helps ensure that students know which of their options have the stamp of approval from experts and students. Read more about our rankings methodology and sources at our about page.
The Consensus Best Regional Universities-Midwest are listed in descending order by their Consensus score. In the event of ties, schools are ranked in alphabetical order with the same rank number.
1
Butler UniversityIndianapolis, IN

2
Creighton UniversityOmaha, NE

3
Drake UniversityDes Moines, IA

4
Bradley UniversityPeoria, IL

5
Xavier UniversityCincinnati, OH

6
Valparaiso UniversityValparaiso, IN

7
University of St FrancisJoliet, IL

8
University of EvansvilleEvansville, IN

9
Nebraska Wesleyan UniversityLincoln, NE

10
Truman State UniversityKirksville, MO

11
John Carroll UniversityUniversity Heights, OH

12
Milwaukee School of EngineeringMilwaukee, WI

13
Dominican UniversityRiver Forest, IL

14
Otterbein UniversityWesterville, OH

15
Bethel University (MN)Saint Paul, MN

16
University of IndianapolisIndianapolis, IN

17
University of Northern IowaCedar Falls, IA

18
Indiana Wesleyan University-MarionMarion, IN

19
MidAmerica Nazarene UniversityOlathe, KS

20
Rockhurst UniversityKansas City, MO

21
Franciscan University of SteubenvilleSteubenville, OH

22
St Catherine UniversitySaint Paul, MN

23
University of Wisconsin-La CrosseLa Crosse, WI

24
University of Illinois at SpringfieldSpringfield, IL

25
Bethel College-IndianaMishawaka, IN

26
Kettering UniversityFlint, MI

27
Baldwin Wallace UniversityBerea, OH

28
Augsburg UniversityMinneapolis, MN

29
The College of Saint ScholasticaDuluth, MN

30
Grace College and Theological SeminaryWinona Lake, IN

31
Webster UniversitySaint Louis, MO

32
Saint Ambrose UniversityDavenport, IA

33
North Central CollegeNaperville, IL

34
Elmhurst CollegeElmhurst, IL

35
University of Detroit MercyDetroit, MI

36
Marian University (IN)Indianapolis, IN

37
Ursuline CollegePepper Pike, OH

38
University of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireEau Claire, WI

39
Capital UniversityColumbus, OH

40
University of Saint Francis-Fort WayneFort Wayne, IN

41
Eastern Illinois UniversityCharleston, IL

42
Anderson University (IN)Anderson, IN

43
University of Michigan-DearbornDearborn, MI

44
University of Nebraska at KearneyKearney, NE

45
Saint Mary's University of MinnesotaWinona, MN

46
Hamline UniversitySaint Paul, MN

47
Alverno CollegeMilwaukee, WI

48
Grand Valley State UniversityAllendale, MI

49
Drury UniversitySpringfield, MO

50
University of Northwestern-St PaulSaint Paul, MN

51
The University of FindlayFindlay, OH

52
Lewis UniversityRomeoville, IL

53
Judson UniversityElgin, IL

54
Muskingum UniversityNew Concord, OH

55
Baker UniversityBaldwin City, KS

56
Aquinas CollegeGrand Rapids, MI

57
Lakeland UniversityPlymouth, WI

58
Lawrence Technological UniversitySouthfield, MI

59
Malone UniversityCanton, OH

60
Newman UniversityWichita, KS

61
Friends UniversityWichita, KS

62
Northern State UniversityAberdeen, SD

63
Mount Vernon Nazarene UniversityMount Vernon, OH

64
Olivet Nazarene UniversityBourbonnais, IL

65
University of Wisconsin-WhitewaterWhitewater, WI

66
Evangel UniversitySpringfield, MO

67
Graceland University-LamoniLamoni, IA

68
Spring Arbor UniversitySpring Arbor, MI

69
Stephens CollegeColumbia, MO

70
Morningside CollegeSioux City, IA

71
Dakota State UniversityMadison, SD

72
University of Wisconsin-StoutMenomonie, WI

73
University of Minnesota-DuluthDuluth, MN

74
Viterbo UniversityLa Crosse, WI

75
Northwest Missouri State UniversityMaryville, MO

76
Concordia University-WisconsinMequon, WI

77
University of Wisconsin-Stevens PointStevens Point, WI

78
North Park UniversityChicago, IL

79
Winona State UniversityWinona, MN

80
Western Illinois UniversityMacomb, IL

81
Northern Michigan UniversityMarquette, MI

82
Quincy UniversityQuincy, IL

83
University of Michigan-FlintFlint, MI

84
Ohio Dominican UniversityColumbus, OH

85
University of Sioux FallsSioux Falls, SD

86
Saint Xavier UniversityChicago, IL

87
Heidelberg UniversityTiffin, OH

88
Missouri Baptist UniversitySaint Louis, MO

89
Southwestern College (KS)Winfield, KS

90
William Woods UniversityFulton, MO

91
McKendree UniversityLebanon, IL

92
Southern Illinois University-EdwardsvilleEdwardsville, IL

93
University of Wisconsin-PlattevillePlatteville, WI

94
Roosevelt UniversityChicago, IL

95
Lake Erie CollegePainesville, OH

96
Southeast Missouri State UniversityCape Girardeau, MO

97
Minnesota State University MoorheadMoorhead, MN

98
Ferris State UniversityBig Rapids, MI

99
Cornerstone UniversityGrand Rapids, MI

100
Carroll UniversityWaukesha, WI

101
Southwest Minnesota State UniversityMarshall, MN

102
Missouri State University-SpringfieldSpringfield, MO

103
Rockford UniversityRockford, IL

104
University of Wisconsin-OshkoshOshkosh, WI

105
Wayne State CollegeWayne, NE

106
Pittsburg State UniversityPittsburg, KS

107
University of Southern IndianaEvansville, IN

108
Black Hills State UniversitySpearfish, SD

109
Southwest Baptist UniversityBolivar, MO

110
University of Wisconsin-Green BayGreen Bay, WI

111
University of Central MissouriWarrensburg, MO

112
Greenville UniversityGreenville, IL

113
University of MaryBismarck, ND

114
Youngstown State UniversityYoungstown, OH

115
University of Wisconsin-River FallsRiver Falls, WI

116
Bemidji State UniversityBemidji, MN

117
Northeastern Illinois UniversityChicago, IL

118
Aurora UniversityAurora, IL

119
Saint Cloud State UniversitySaint Cloud, MN

120
Emporia State UniversityEmporia, KS

121
Purdue University Fort WayneFort Wayne, IN

122
University of DubuqueDubuque, IA

123
Washburn UniversityTopeka, KS

124
Marian University (WI)Fond Du Lac, WI

125
Minnesota State University-MankatoMankato, MN
