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My top picks for the Midwest encompass 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. I have listed the schools 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.
The Midwest Region
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.
More Regions: New England | Middle Atlantic | Southeast | South Central | Mountain | West Coast
Albion College
Verybigfish86 / Wikimedia Commons
- Location: Albion, Michigan
- Enrollment: 1,738 (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
TFDuesing / Flickr
- Location: Northfield, Minnesota
- Enrollment: 2,009 (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
Charles Burkett / Flickr
- Location: Cleveland, Ohio
- Enrollment: 9,738 (4,228 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private university
- 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
JesseLegg / Flickr
- Location: Wooster, Ohio
- Enrollment: 1,853 (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
White & Blue Review / Flickr
- Location: Omaha, Nebraska
- Enrollment: 7,385 (4,133 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 Missouri Valley Conference; one of the country's top Catholic universities
- For more information and admissions data, visit the Creighton University profile
Denison University
Bluebank83 / Flickr
- Location: Granville, Ohio
- Enrollment: 2,267 (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
Rovergirl88 / Wikimedia Commons
- Location: Greencastle, Indiana
- Enrollment: 2,396 (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
Aureliusxv / Wikimedia Commons
- Location: Grinnell Iowa
- Enrollment: 1,688 (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
Daniel Morrison / Flickr
- Location: Holland, Michigan
- Enrollment: 3,230 (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
