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 Wisconsin Stout
- Public 4 Year
- Menomonie, WI
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| 0 reviews
- Sep 1 application deadline
UW-Stout is a public polytechnic university known for undergraduate industrial design, packaging, and engineering technology. The campus is in Menomonie, a small city in western Wisconsin.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.35
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $15,673
University of Wisconsin Platteville
- Public 4 Year
- Platteville, WI
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3.0 | 4 reviews
UW-Platteville is a public university known for undergraduate engineering and agriculture. Most students live on a residential campus in the small college town of Platteville.
- SAT Range -
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $16,266
Bemidji State University
- Public 4 Year
- Bemidji, MN
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| 0 reviews
Bemidji State is a public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and business. The campus sits on the shore of Lake Bemidji in northern Minnesota.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.26
- Acceptance Rate 56%
- Net Price $14,859
Purdue University Fort Wayne
- Public 4 Year
- Fort Wayne, IN
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Purdue Fort Wayne is a public university known for undergraduate engineering, technology, and business. The urban campus is set in Indiana's second-largest city.
- SAT Range 970-1220
- Avg GPA 3.37
- Acceptance Rate 84%
- Net Price $14,735
Oakland University
- Public 4 Year
- Rochester Hills, MI
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| 0 reviews
Oakland University is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and engineering. The suburban campus sits in Rochester Hills northeast of Detroit.
- SAT Range 1030-1230
- Avg GPA 3.51
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $12,208
University of Wisconsin River Falls
- Public 4 Year
- River Falls, WI
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5.0 | 2 reviews
UW-River Falls is a public university known for undergraduate agriculture, animal science, and teacher education. The campus is in the small city of River Falls near the Twin Cities.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.44
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $14,769
Ferris State University
- Public 4 Year
- Big Rapids, MI
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4.0 | 2 reviews
Ferris State is a public university known for undergraduate pharmacy, optometry, and applied technology programs. The main campus is in the small city of Big Rapids in western Michigan.
- SAT Range 890-1120
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $10,825
Eastern Michigan University
- Public 4 Year
- Ypsilanti, MI
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4.8 | 4 reviews
EMU is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education and business. The campus is in Ypsilanti, just east of Ann Arbor.
- SAT Range 920-1170
- Avg GPA 3.37
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $15,742
Central Michigan University
- Public 4 Year
- Mount Pleasant, MI
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5.0 | 3 reviews
Central Michigan is a public university known for undergraduate education, business, and health professions. Most students live on a residential campus in the college town of Mount Pleasant.
- SAT Range 960-1200
- Avg GPA 3.47
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $17,575
Cleveland State University
- Public 4 Year
- Cleveland, OH
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
Cleveland State is a public university known for undergraduate urban affairs, engineering, and business. The urban campus sits in downtown Cleveland.
- SAT Range 880-1130
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.31
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $16,230
Minnesota State University Mankato
- Public 4 Year
- Mankato, MN
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3.7 | 3 reviews
Minnesota State Mankato is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The campus sits on a bluff overlooking the Minnesota River valley in southern Minnesota.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.37
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $18,861
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
- Public 4 Year
- Oshkosh, WI
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3.0 | 1 reviews
UW Oshkosh is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The campus borders Lake Winnebago in a mid-sized Wisconsin city.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.24
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $12,500
Kent State University at Kent
- Public 4 Year
- Kent, OH
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Kent State is a large public university known for undergraduate fashion design, journalism, and education. Most undergrads study on a residential campus in the college town of Kent.
- SAT Range 1010-1240
- Avg GPA 3.61
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $21,278
Chicago State University
- Public 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
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| 0 reviews
Chicago State is a public university known for undergraduate education and nursing. The urban campus is located on Chicago's South Side.
- SAT Range 750-963
- Avg GPA 3.18
- Acceptance Rate 43%
- Net Price $10,441
University of Akron Main Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Akron, OH
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3.5 | 4 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
University of Akron is a large public university known for undergraduate polymer science and engineering. The urban campus sits near downtown Akron.
- SAT Range 900-1190
- Avg GPA 3.47
- Acceptance Rate 60%
- Net Price $14,693
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
- Public 4 Year
- Milwaukee, WI
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| 0 reviews
- Sep 1 application deadline
UWM is a large public university known for undergraduate architecture, nursing, and freshwater sciences. The urban East Side campus sits near Lake Michigan in Milwaukee.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.16
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $16,263
Indiana University Southeast
- Public 4 Year
- New Albany, IN
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| 0 reviews
IU Southeast is a public regional campus of Indiana University known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The New Albany campus sits across the Ohio River from Louisville.
- SAT Range 970-1180
- Avg GPA 3.31
- Acceptance Rate 84%
- Net Price $9,102
Wright State University Main Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Dayton, OH
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4.7 | 3 reviews
- Aug 23 application deadline
Wright State is a public university known for undergraduate engineering, nursing, and computer science. The suburban campus sits near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in the Dayton area.
- SAT Range 913-1230
- Avg GPA 3.41
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $15,254