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Best Business Administration & Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region

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2023 Best Business Administration & Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region

274 Colleges
$50,796 Avg Salary
$27,574 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Business Administration & Management School for You

There are so many business programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Business Degree Central has created the Best Business Administration & Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 274 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for business students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Business Administration & Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Business Administration & Management Colleges.

Top 25 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in Business Administration & Management

#1

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN

Our analysis found University of Notre Dame to be the best school for business administration & management students who want to pursue a degree in the Great Lakes Region . Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Notre Dame.

Business Administration majors at Notre Dame take out an average of $48,563 in student loans while working on their egree.

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#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Business Administration & Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.

After completing their degree, business administration graduates from UChicago carry an average student debtload of $92,529.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Business Administration & Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. U-M is a very large public school located in the city of Ann Arbor.

On average, business administration graduates from U-M take out $37,966 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $560.

Full Business Administration & Management at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Report

#4

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Business Administration & Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Evanston.

While working on their degree, business administration majors at Northwestern accumulate an average of around $172,164 in student debt.

Read full report on Business Administration & Management at Northwestern University

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Lake Forest Graduate School of Management is a great place for business administration & management students. Located in the large suburb of Lake Forest, Lake Forest Graduate School of Management is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

Business Administration majors at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management take out an average of $42,302 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Business Administration & Management at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management Report

Madison Area Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for business administration & management students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the city of Madison, Madison College is a public college with a large student population.

While working on their degree, business administration majors at Madison College accumulate an average of around $16,500 in student debt.

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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for business administration & management students. It came in at #7 on the list. UIUC is a very large public school located in the city of Champaign.

Business Administration majors at UIUC take out an average of $28,121 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $722.

Read full report on Business Administration & Management at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#8

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI

Michigan State University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best business administration & management programs. Located in the small city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Business Administration majors at Michigan State take out an average of $36,375 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $535.

Full Business Administration & Management at Michigan State University Report

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best business administration & management programs. UW - Madison is a very large public school located in the large city of Madison.

The average amount in student loans that business administration majors at UW - Madison take out is $20,000.

Full Business Administration & Management at University of Wisconsin - Madison Report

Milwaukee School of Engineering did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for business administration & management students. It came in at #10 on the list. MSOE is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Milwaukee.

Full Business Administration & Management at Milwaukee School of Engineering Report

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for business administration & management students. It came in at #11 on the list. Located in the city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Full Business Administration & Management at Indiana University - Bloomington Report

#12

Kettering University

Flint, MI

Kettering University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Business Administration & Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the small city of Flint, Kettering is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

On average, business administration graduates from Kettering take out $31,796 in student loans while working on their degree.

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#13

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, IN

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Best Business Administration & Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue is a fairly large public school located in the city of West Lafayette.

After completing their degree, business administration graduates from Purdue carry an average student debtload of $26,667. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $499.

Read full report on Business Administration & Management at Purdue University - Main Campus

Fox Valley Technical College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Business Administration & Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. FVTC is a large public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Appleton.

Business Administration majors at FVTC take out an average of $11,875 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Business Administration & Management at Fox Valley Technical College Report

Southwest Wisconsin Technical College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Business Administration & Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Southwest Tech is a small public school located in the rural area of Fennimore.

While working on their degree, business administration majors at Southwest Tech accumulate an average of around $8,500 in student debt.

Full Business Administration & Management at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Report

#16

Marquette University

Milwaukee, WI

With a ranking of #16, Marquette University did quite well on this year’s best schools for business administration & management students. Located in the large city of Milwaukee, Marquette is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

On average, business administration graduates from Marquette take out $31,910 in student loans while working on their degree.

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Miami University - Oxford came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Business Administration & Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large public school located in the town of Oxford.

Business Administration majors at Miami University - Oxford take out an average of $32,625 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Business Administration & Management at Miami University - Oxford Report

With a ranking of #18, Rasmussen University - Wisconsin did quite well on this year’s best schools for business administration & management students. Located in the city of Green Bay, Rasmussen University - Wisconsin is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

The average amount in student loans that business administration majors at Rasmussen University - Wisconsin take out is $24,085.

Full Business Administration & Management at Rasmussen University - Wisconsin Report

#19

Butler University

Indianapolis, IN

Butler University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Business Administration & Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the large city of Indianapolis, Butler is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.

Read full report on Business Administration & Management at Butler University

Cincinnati State Technical and Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for business administration & management students. It came in at #20 on the list. Cincinnati State is a moderately-sized public school located in the large city of Cincinnati.

Business Administration majors at Cincinnati State take out an average of $13,774 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Business Administration & Management at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for business administration & management students. It came in at #21 on the list. Ohio State is a very large public school located in the large city of Columbus.

The average amount in student loans that business administration majors at Ohio State take out is $28,782. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $408.

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#22

Ball State University

Muncie, IN

Ball State University landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best business administration & management programs. Ball State is a large public school located in the city of Muncie.

On average, business administration graduates from Ball State take out $20,500 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Business Administration & Management at Ball State University

#23

Western Technical College

La Crosse, WI

With a ranking of #23, Western Technical College did quite well on this year’s best schools for business administration & management students. Located in the city of La Crosse, Western Technical College is a public college with a small student population.

After completing their degree, business administration graduates from Western Technical College carry an average student debtload of $16,345.

Full Business Administration & Management at Western Technical College Report

Rasmussen University - Illinois ranked #24 on this year’s Best Business Administration & Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the midsize city of Rockford, Rasmussen University - Illinois is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

While working on their degree, business administration majors at Rasmussen University - Illinois accumulate an average of around $24,085 in student debt.

Read full report on Business Administration & Management at Rasmussen University - Illinois

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Business Administration & Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school located in the city of Eau Claire.

On average, business administration graduates from UW - Eau Claire take out $26,230 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Business Administration & Management at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Report

Rest of the Top Best Business Administration & Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region

#26

Northwood University

Midland, MI
#28

Cleary University

Howell, MI
#29

Augustana College

Rock Island, IL
#31

Hope College

Holland, MI
#32

Saint Mary's College

Notre Dame, IN
#34

Lakeshore Technical College

Cleveland, WI
#35

Walsh College

Troy, MI
#36

Taylor University

Upland, IN
#40

Wisconsin Lutheran College

Milwaukee, WI

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Business Administration & Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.

Rank College Location
42 Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN
43 Northcentral Technical College Wausau, WI
44 University of Wisconsin - Platteville Platteville, WI
45 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
46 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
47 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH
48 Lansing Community College Lansing, MI
49 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse La Crosse, WI
50 Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL
51 Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses Angola, IN
52 Herzing University - Akron Akron, OH
53 University of Wisconsin - River Falls River Falls, WI
54 Bradley University Peoria, IL

Best Business Administration & Management Colleges by State

Explore the best business administration & management colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 9,225
Ohio 10,252
Illinois 12,631
Indiana 6,843
Wisconsin 5,331

Business Administration & Management is one of 21 different types of business programs to choose from.

Business Administration Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
General Business Administration and Management 343,412
Organizational Leadership 15,220
Interior Design Management 13,728
Supply Chain Management 10,601
Operations Management 6,424
Project Management 4,189
Office Administration 3,577
Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management 2,736
Retail Management 959
Purchasing, Procurement/Acquisitions and Contracts Management 939
Transportation/Mobility Management 641
E-Commerce 469
Science/Technology Management 359
Research and Development Management 284
Customer Service Management 178
Risk Management 37

Majors Similar to Business Administration

Related Major Annual Graduates
Accounting 93,982
General Business/Commerce 56,779
Finance & Financial Management 54,690
Marketing 52,078
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods 48,037

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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