2023 Best Business Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
With all the business programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Also, there are a number of trade schools and bootcamp with offerings that you might find attractive.
The <nil> ranking is one of many tools that Business Degree Central has developed to help you make your educational decision. To come up with a school's ranking, we analyzed numerous factors related to post-graduation wages, the quality of education offered by the school, average accumulated student debt, and more.
View our full ranking methodology.
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Top Business Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region of the U.S.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our rankings named University of Notre Dame the best school in the Great Lakes Region for business students working on their bachelor’s degree.
The average tuition and fees at Notre Dame is $58,843. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $19,395 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Notre Dame. During the 2019-2020 year, about 53% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our list.
The average tuition and fees at Northwestern is $60,768. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $18,404 in student loans.
Out of the 184 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the # 3 spot on the list.
Full-time students from Michigan pay an average of $17,193 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend U-M. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $55,097. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $17,457 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at U-M. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 100% took at least some of their classes online.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #4 on this year’s list.
In-state students pay an average of $11,333 in tuition and fees if they attend IU Bloomington full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $38,352. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $19,912 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since IU Bloomington does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 99% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a great place for business students working on their bachelor’s degree.
Students from Illinois who attend UIUC full time pay an average of $17,634 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $37,632. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $18,891 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that UIUC does offer online classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 100% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #6 on this year’s list.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at UW - Madison is $10,720. Out-of-state students pay an average of $38,608. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from UW - Madison accumulate an average of $20,865 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at UW - Madison. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 99% took at least some of their classes online.
Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for business students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #7 on the list.
The average tuition and fees at Illinois Wesleyan is $52,512. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Illinois Wesleyan accumulate an average of $23,212 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Milwaukee School of Engineering landed the #8 spot in the rankings for the best bachelor’s degree business programs.
MSOE does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $45,099. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from MSOE accumulate an average of $32,296 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
MSOE does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 8% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Michigan State University landed the #9 spot in the rankings for the best bachelor’s degree business programs.
By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $24,867 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Michigan State. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 100% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #10, Marquette University did quite well on this year’s best schools for business students working on their bachelor’s degree.
Marquette does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $45,766. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $21,711 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Marquette. In fact, around 94% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s list.
Students from Indiana who attend Purdue full time pay an average of $9,992 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $28,794. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $19,133 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Purdue does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 89% took at least some of their classes online.
Butler University landed the #12 spot in the rankings for the best bachelor’s degree business programs.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $43,400 to cover tuition and fees at Butler. The school does not offer an in-state discount. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Butler accumulate an average of $20,345 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Butler. In fact, around 4% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #13, University of Dayton did quite well on this year’s best schools for business students working on their bachelor’s degree.
On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $21,966 in loans while pursuing their degree.
UDayton does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In 2019-2020 about 22% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #14, Miami University - Oxford did quite well on this year’s best schools for business students working on their bachelor’s degree.
Full-time students from Ohio pay an average of $16,142 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Miami University - Oxford. Out-of-state students pay an average of $36,288. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $23,353 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Miami University - Oxford. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 12% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #15 spot in the rankings for the best bachelor’s degree business programs.
Full-time students from Ohio pay an average of $11,936 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Ohio State. Out-of-state students pay an average of $35,019. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $22,741 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Ohio State. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 99% took at least some of their classes online.
John Carroll University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the ranking.
John Carroll does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $45,514. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from John Carroll accumulate an average of $23,338 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out John Carroll. Every undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Augustana College ranked #17 on this year’s list.
Augustana does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $46,189. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $25,410 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Augustana. In 2019-2020 about 41% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Loyola University Chicago came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the ranking.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $47,808 to cover tuition and fees at Loyola Chicago. The school does not offer an in-state discount. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Loyola Chicago accumulate an average of $23,570 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Loyola Chicago does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2019-2020 year, about 97% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #19, Case Western Reserve University did quite well on this year’s best schools for business students working on their bachelor’s degree.
Case Western does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $54,532. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $22,692 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Case Western does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 1% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Calvin University landed the #20 spot in the rankings for the best bachelor’s degree business programs.
The average tuition and fees at Calvin is $38,240. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $19,374 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Calvin. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 31% took at least some of their classes online.
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for business students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #21 on the list.
In-state students pay an average of $8,874 in tuition and fees if they attend UW - Eau Claire full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $17,149. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $22,216 in student loans.
UW - Eau Claire does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 81% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Hope College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for business students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #22 on the list.
Hope does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $36,650. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $22,982 in student loans.
Online courses are available at Hope, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 41% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
University of Wisconsin - Stout came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the ranking.
In-state students pay an average of $9,553 in tuition and fees if they attend UW - Stout full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $17,820. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $24,863 in student loans.
Online courses are available at UW - Stout, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 86% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #24, Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses did quite well on this year’s best schools for business students working on their bachelor’s degree.
On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $26,884 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Trine does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 100% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #25 spot in the rankings for the best bachelor’s degree business programs.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at UW - La Crosse is $9,195. Out-of-state students pay an average of $18,014. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $22,366 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at UW - La Crosse. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 98% took at least some of their classes online.
Rest of the Top 15% Best Business Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region of the U.S.
Not only did these schools make the top 28 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Honorable Mentions
These schools also performed well in our best business schools ranking:
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 29 | Illinois State University | Normal, IL |
| 30 | The University of Findlay | Findlay, OH |
| 31 | University of Wisconsin - River Falls | River Falls, WI |
| 32 | Xavier University | Cincinnati, OH |
| 33 | Wisconsin Lutheran College | Milwaukee, WI |
| 34 | University of Wisconsin - Platteville | Platteville, WI |
| 35 | Concordia University, Wisconsin | Mequon, WI |
| 36 | University of Wisconsin - Whitewater | Whitewater, WI |
| 37 | Walsh University | North Canton, OH |
Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- 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 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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