2026 College Rankings

Best Colleges – Best Large Colleges – Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)

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Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)

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Big, beautiful campuses, large student populations, lots of clubs and sports, and countless academic opportunities are all characteristics of the best large colleges. These powerhouse schools are some of the most well-known in the US and bring tons of benefits for students and faculty alike. For the purposes of the list, we count large colleges as having over 10,000 total enrolled students – undergraduates and graduate students.

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Rank	Institution	Undergraduates	Acceptance Rate	SAT Score	Your Est. Net Price Avg. Net Price	Median Starting Salary	Save
1	University of Chicago	7519	4.48	1,510 – 1,570	27979	80870	#1 Best Colleges – Best Large Colleges – Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) University of Chicago Chicago, IL The University of Chicago receives 43,600 applications annually and the school is considered extremely selective. It's made up of an undergraduate college and five graduate research divisions. UChicago also has campuses all over the world, from Hong Kong to Paris....Read more Undergraduates 7,519 Acceptance Rate 4.5% SAT Score 1,510 – 1,570 Avg. Net Price $27,979 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $80,870
2	University of Notre Dame	8880	11.27	1,460 – 1,550	29083	86210	#2 Best Colleges – Best Large Colleges – Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN Edward Sorin founded the University of Notre Dame in 1842 as a private Catholic research university. Their motto is, “Vita Dulcedo Spes” or “Life, Sweetness, Hope” – referencing the Virgin Mary. The school’s teams are known as the Fighting Irish, and wear the colors blue and gold. Their mascot is the very iconic Leprechaun....Read more Undergraduates 8,880 Acceptance Rate 11.3% SAT Score 1,460 – 1,550 Avg. Net Price $29,083 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $86,210
3	Northwestern University	8846	7.22	1,480 – 1,560	23341	76844	#3 Best Colleges – Best Large Colleges – Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) Northwestern University Evanston, IL A founding member of the Big Ten Conference, top sports for the Wildcats include Football, Basketball, and Swimming and Diving (combined). Willie the Wildcat cheers them on and the colors are purple and white....Read more Undergraduates 8,846 Acceptance Rate 7.2% SAT Score 1,480 – 1,560 Avg. Net Price $23,341 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $76,844
4	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	34454	15.64	1,370 – 1,530	19005	73762	#4 Best Colleges – Best Large Colleges – Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, was founded in 1817, making it the oldest institution of higher education in Michigan. The most commonly chosen major at UMich is Computer and Information Sciences, General. During the last admissions cycle, 47% of accepted students decide to attend. Undergraduates 34,454 Acceptance Rate 15.6% SAT Score 1,370 – 1,530 Avg. Net Price $19,005 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $73,762