A handful of public universities in the Midwest, including one in Illinois, just landed on a new, elite list of the nation's best public colleges.
Forbes' “Top 25 Public Colleges,” released by the magazine late last month, ranks state schools that “offer a world-class education for a fraction of the list price at top private colleges.” the report said. According to the authors, the rankings, which are derived from Forbes' 2023 ranking of the nation's 500 best colleges, evaluate return on investment, student success, student debt, graduate salary, graduation rate And much more.
The list of 25 also includes some of the “oldest public universities in the United States, with histories dating back to the 1700s,” the editors said.
The state with the most schools on the list is California, with San Diego State University and the University of California – Irvine, Davis, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Los Angeles and Berkeley earning high spots in the rankings.
In the Midwest, five schools made the list.
MORE: New rankings reveal top US high schools. many Illinois schools make the list
Michigan State University earned the 24th spot and Purdue University in Lafayette, IN came in at No. 19. The University of Wisconsin – Madison earned the No. 15 spot and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign came in at No. 9.
“The University of Illinois is home to more than 9,000 works of art, more than 46,000 objects, four theaters and four cultural centers. wrote Forbes. “Students have the opportunity to be mentored by faculty members who have won Nobel Prizes, Pulitzer Prizes, and the Fields Medal in Mathematics.”
The Midwest school that earned the highest ranking was the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor.
“The curriculum encourages students to make the most of all that the school's programs have to offer.” Forbes said. “A class called Making the Most of Michigan is facilitated by upperclassmen to help juniors navigate a new environment, connect with other freshmen, and develop skills for career and leadership opportunities.”
You can find the full ranking and report from Forbes here.
