Some of the best Midwestern colleges and universities can thank the Morrill Act of 1862 for their existence. This act gave the states 30,000 acres of federal land to establish institutions that offered practical and agricultural education to a wider public. Today, many of these land-grant colleges have a history as energy-producing research institutions, with developments such as first internet browser and performing the first successful open heart surgery.
After the 2008 recession, many colleges in the Midwest faced divestment problems. Higher education is generally an easy target for budget cuts by state governments looking to save money. However, some states have started to make up ground. For example, in 2019, Illinois passed a new budget with significant increases in funding many colleges and universities across the state. Many schools across the region are struggling to attract students away from the coasts and into America's heartland by focusing resources on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education. “Silicon Prairie” is developing. Of course, many of the schools on this list also have a rich tradition of college sports, especially football, which contributes to the rah-rah campus culture.
America's heartland claims many well-respected institutions of higher education, including prestigious public research universities and prestigious small liberal arts colleges. Using Niche's 2023 Best Colleges in America list, Stacker found the best 50 schools in the Midwest. Niche's rankings use data from the Department of Education about academics, admissions and student life, along with reviews from current students and alumni. Only colleges located in the Midwestern states—Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin—were included.
Click through our list to find which colleges made the cut and whether the top spot went to a big-name football school, a land-grant institution or a bucolic liberal arts campus.
