Top Rated Midwest Public Colleges
These are the top ranked public four-year colleges in the Midwest as ranked by CollegeSimply. Leading the rankings for 2027 as the best public college in the Midwest is University of Michigan Ann Arbor. Learn how the Best Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page.
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
- Public 4 Year
- Ann Arbor, MI
-
4.8 | 5 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Michigan is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate business, engineering, and the social sciences. Ann Arbor is a classic college town built around the campus.
- SAT Range 1360-1530
- Avg GPA 3.88
- Acceptance Rate 16%
- Net Price $17,574
Purdue University Main Campus
- Public 4 Year
- West Lafayette, IN
-
4.6 | 5 reviews
Purdue is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering, agriculture, and computer science. Students live on a large campus in the college town of West Lafayette along the Wabash River.
- SAT Range 1200-1480
- Avg GPA 3.67
- Acceptance Rate 50%
- Net Price $13,722
University of Wisconsin Madison
- Public 4 Year
- Madison, WI
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Wisconsin is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate business, engineering, and the biological sciences. The lakeside campus occupies an isthmus between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona in a classic college town.
- SAT Range 1380-1520
- Avg GPA 3.88
- Acceptance Rate 45%
- Net Price $14,235
University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
- Public 4 Year
- Champaign, IL
-
4.4 | 5 reviews
- Jan 5 application deadline
Illinois is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate computer science and engineering. The campus spans the adjacent college towns of Champaign and Urbana.
- SAT Range 1310-1520
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.79
- Acceptance Rate 42%
- Net Price $13,973
Ohio State University Main Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Columbus, OH
-
5.0 | 6 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Ohio State is a large public university known for undergraduate business, engineering, and education. The urban campus stretches across Columbus, the state capital.
- SAT Range 1310-1480
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.76
- Acceptance Rate 61%
- Net Price $19,783
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
Missouri University of Science and Technology
- Public 4 Year
- Rolla, MO
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 1 application deadline
Missouri S&T is a public university known for undergraduate engineering, computer science, and the physical sciences. Most undergrads live on the residential campus in the college town of Rolla.
- SAT Range 1190-1420
- Avg GPA 3.81
- Acceptance Rate 73%
- Net Price $17,366
Indiana University Bloomington
- Public 4 Year
- Bloomington, IN
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
IU is a large public university known for undergraduate business, music, and media. Bloomington is a classic college town built around a historic limestone campus.
- SAT Range 1170-1400
- Avg GPA 3.74
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $17,270
University of Illinois Chicago
- Public 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
UIC is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, architecture, and engineering. The urban campus sits on Chicago's Near West Side near the Illinois Medical District.
- SAT Range 1130-1350
- Avg GPA 3.41
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $10,852
University of Iowa
- Public 4 Year
- Iowa City, IA
-
3.0 | 3 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
Iowa is a large public university known for undergraduate creative writing and journalism. The campus sits in the college town of Iowa City along the Iowa River.
- SAT Range 1130-1330
- Avg GPA 3.81
- Acceptance Rate 84%
- Net Price $21,765
Michigan State University
- Public 4 Year
- East Lansing, MI
-
4.5 | 6 reviews
Michigan State is a large public university known for undergraduate supply chain management, education, and agriculture. The campus spreads across the college town of East Lansing with the Red Cedar River running through it.
- SAT Range 1180-1360
- Avg GPA 3.72
- Acceptance Rate 85%
- Net Price $23,657
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
Truman State University
- Public 4 Year
- Kirksville, MO
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
Truman State is a public liberal arts university known for undergraduate sciences, business, and education. The residential campus sits in the small college town of Kirksville.
- SAT Range 1170-1370
- Avg GPA 3.81
- Acceptance Rate 84%
- Net Price $13,602
University of Missouri Columbia
- Public 4 Year
- Columbia, MO
-
4.0 | 2 reviews
Mizzou is a large public university known for undergraduate journalism and agriculture. Columbia is a Midwestern college town built around the campus.
- SAT Range 1150-1330
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.61
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $22,169
Miami University Oxford
- Public 4 Year
- Oxford, OH
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Miami University is a public university known for undergraduate business and education. The residential red-brick campus anchors the small college town of Oxford.
- SAT Range 1220-1390
- Avg GPA 3.85
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $28,229
Michigan Technological University
- Public 4 Year
- Houghton, MI
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
Michigan Tech is a public university known for undergraduate engineering, computer science, and forestry. Students attend campus in the Upper Peninsula town of Houghton near Lake Superior.
- SAT Range 1130-1350
- Avg GPA 3.78
- Acceptance Rate 92%
- Net Price $16,879
Iowa State University
- Public 4 Year
- Ames, IA
-
4.0 | 4 reviews
Iowa State is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering, agriculture, and design. Ames is a college town built around the campus.
- SAT Range 1120-1360
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $17,779
University of Nebraska Lincoln
- Public 4 Year
- Lincoln, NE
-
| 0 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
Nebraska is a large public university known for undergraduate agriculture, engineering, and journalism. Students attend classes on a large campus in Lincoln, the state capital.
- SAT Range 1098-1330
- Avg GPA 3.63
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $18,322