Best Value Midwestern Colleges
There are 252 colleges in the Midwest ranked by value using the same methodology as our national list. Rankings balance academic quality with the net price students typically pay.
University of Michigan Ann Arbor leads Midwest value rankings for 2027 with a 10 out of 10 academic rating and an average net price of $17,574. The top value public university is also University of Michigan Ann Arbor. Also high value: Washington University in St Louis, Northwestern University and University of Chicago.
Compare net price, aid, and academic ratings across the colleges below. See how value scores are calculated on our methodology page. Explore the regional list below or browse individual states.
Augsburg University
- Private 4 Year
- Minneapolis, MN
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Augsburg is a private Lutheran university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and social work. The urban campus is in Minneapolis's Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.
- SAT Range 1188-1376
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.27
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $24,561
Macalester College
- Private 4 Year
- Saint Paul, MN
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Macalester is a selective private liberal arts college known for undergraduate international studies, political science, and economics. The urban campus sits in Saint Paul within the Twin Cities.
- SAT Range 1350-1510
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.81
- Acceptance Rate 29%
- Net Price $40,225
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
- Public 4 Year
- Minneapolis, MN
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 1 application deadline
Minnesota is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering, business, and biological sciences. The Twin Cities campus spans Minneapolis and St. Paul along the Mississippi River.
- SAT Range 1300-1500
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.75
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $17,209
Rockhurst University
- Private 4 Year
- Kansas City, MO
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| 0 reviews
- Jun 30 application deadline
Rockhurst is a private Jesuit university known for undergraduate business, nursing, and health sciences. The compact urban campus sits in Kansas City's Volker neighborhood.
- SAT Range 1116-1246
- Avg GPA 3.62
- Acceptance Rate 70%
- Net Price $25,787
Creighton University
- Private 4 Year
- Omaha, NE
-
| 0 reviews
Creighton is a private Jesuit university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and business. The compact urban campus sits in midtown Omaha.
- SAT Range 1243-1428
- Avg GPA 3.84
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $32,636
John Carroll University
- Private 4 Year
- University Heights, OH
-
| 0 reviews
John Carroll is a private Jesuit university known for undergraduate business and the sciences. The suburban campus sits in University Heights near Cleveland.
- SAT Range 1180-1330
- Avg GPA 3.66
- Acceptance Rate 81%
- Net Price $30,030
Mount St. Joseph University
- Private 4 Year
- Cincinnati, OH
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| 0 reviews
Mount St. Joseph is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and education. The hilltop campus overlooks the Ohio River on Cincinnati's west side.
- SAT Range 930-1140
- Avg GPA 3.56
- Acceptance Rate 59%
- Net Price $17,094
Ohio Northern University
- Private 4 Year
- Ada, OH
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
Ohio Northern is a private university known for undergraduate pharmacy and engineering. The residential campus anchors the small college town of Ada in northwest Ohio.
- SAT Range 1175-1400
- Avg GPA 3.78
- Acceptance Rate 74%
- Net Price $25,941
Elmhurst University
- Private 4 Year
- Elmhurst, IL
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3.0 | 1 reviews
Elmhurst is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The campus sits in a residential suburb west of Chicago.
- SAT Range 990-1260
- Avg GPA 3.59
- Acceptance Rate 74%
- Net Price $24,629
University of Michigan Dearborn
- Public 4 Year
- Dearborn, MI
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- Apr 1 application deadline
Michigan-Dearborn is a public university known for undergraduate engineering and computer science. The suburban campus sits in Dearborn in the Detroit metro area.
- SAT Range 990-1255
- Avg GPA 3.66
- Acceptance Rate 56%
- Net Price $11,521
College of Saint Benedict
- Private 4 Year
- Saint Joseph, MN
-
| 0 reviews
College of Saint Benedict is a private Catholic women's liberal arts college known for undergraduate nursing. Students share classes and many programs with men from nearby Saint John's University under a coordinate college system.
- SAT Range 1048-1233
- Avg GPA 3.72
- Acceptance Rate 92%
- Net Price $28,400
Saint Johns University
- Private 4 Year
- Collegeville, MN
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
Saint John's is a private Benedictine men's college known for undergraduate liberal arts. The wooded Collegeville campus centers on a historic abbey and shares academics with the nearby College of Saint Benedict.
- SAT Range 941-1228
- Avg GPA 3.51
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $28,504
University of Missouri Kansas City
- Public 4 Year
- Kansas City, MO
-
| 0 reviews
- Jun 15 application deadline
UMKC is a public university known for its Conservatory and undergraduate programs in music, pharmacy, and business. The urban campus sits in Kansas City.
- SAT Range 1290-1550
- Avg GPA 3.54
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $14,748
Nebraska Wesleyan University
- Private 4 Year
- Lincoln, NE
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
Nebraska Wesleyan is a private liberal arts university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and the sciences. Most students live on the residential campus in Lincoln.
- SAT Range 1020-1290
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $21,122
Wittenberg University
- Private 4 Year
- Springfield, OH
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
Wittenberg is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate education, biology, and business. The residential campus in Springfield has longstanding Lutheran ties.
- SAT Range 980-1275
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $23,537
Lake Forest College
- Private 4 Year
- Lake Forest, IL
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Lake Forest is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate economics, business, and biology. The residential campus sits in a North Shore suburb of Chicago near Lake Michigan.
- SAT Range 1190-1393
- Avg GPA 3.62
- Acceptance Rate 57%
- Net Price $31,225
Northern Illinois University
- Public 4 Year
- Dekalb, IL
-
3.2 | 5 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
NIU is a large public university known for undergraduate business, education, and the visual arts. The residential campus is in the college town of DeKalb west of Chicago.
- SAT Range 940-1170
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 70%
- Net Price $14,243
Indiana University Indianapolis
- Public 4 Year
- Indianapolis, IN
-
| 0 reviews
- May 15 application deadline
IU Indianapolis is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and philanthropic studies. The urban campus is located in downtown Indianapolis.
- SAT Range 1030-1240
- Avg GPA 3.52
- Acceptance Rate 76%
- Net Price $12,228