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Most Popular Business Doctor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region

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2023 Most Popular Business Doctor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region

49 Schools Ranked

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. 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. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school or bootcamp that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Business Degree Central has developed this Most Popular Business Doctor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This report analyzed 49 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which ones were the most popular doctor's degree programs for business students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school on the list.

Learn more about these popular schools below:

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
52 Total Awards
$63,936 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named University of Chicago the most popular school in the Great Lakes Region for business students working on their doctor’s degree. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 52 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 21% of those degree recipients were women.

Read full report on University of Chicago

#2

University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, Wisconsin
45 Total Awards
$12,175 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Popular Business Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 45 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 38% of those degree recipients were women.

UW - Madison does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In fact, around 75% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Report

#3

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
35 Total Awards
$56,567 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 49 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 35 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 34% were women.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Northwestern does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 2% took at least some of their classes online.

Full Northwestern University Report

#4

Concordia University, Wisconsin

Mequon, Wisconsin
33 Total Awards
$11,760 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Concordia University, Wisconsin. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Popular Business Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Concordia University, Wisconsin is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Mequon, Wisconsin. It awarded 33 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 61% of those degree recipients were women.

Concordia University, Wisconsin does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 67% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full Concordia University, Wisconsin Report

29 Total Awards
$17,823 Average Tuition & Fees

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 doctor’s degree. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 41% were women.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since UIUC does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In fact, around 90% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Report

#6

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
28 Total Awards
$9,992 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #6, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for business students working on their doctor’s degree. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, the large public school handed out 28 doctor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 39% were women.

Purdue does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In 2019-2020 about 60% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read More…

26 Total Awards
$12,425 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #7, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for business students working on their doctor’s degree. Ohio State is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 26 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 31% of those degree recipients were women.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Ohio State. During the 2019-2020 year, about 76% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read More…

#7

Antioch University - Midwest

Yellow Springs, Ohio
26 Total Awards
$18,672 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #7, Antioch University - Midwest did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for business students working on their doctor’s degree. This very small private not-for-profit school is located in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and it awarded 26 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 81% of those degree recipients were women.

Full Antioch University - Midwest Report

#7

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
26 Total Awards
$25,230 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #7, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for business students working on their doctor’s degree. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 31% of those degree recipients were women.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at U-M. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 74% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Report

#10

Benedictine University

Lisle, Illinois
25 Total Awards
$19,640 Average Tuition & Fees

Benedictine University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Popular Business Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Lisle, Illinois, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 25 diplomas to qualifed doctor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 48% were women.

Online graduate courses are available at Benedictine U, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 100% took at least some of their classes online.

Full Benedictine University Report

#11

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
23 Total Awards

Michigan State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for business students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #11 on the list. Michigan State is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 43% were women.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Michigan State does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 65% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Full Michigan State University Report

20 Total Awards
$49,398 Average Tuition & Fees

Case Western Reserve University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Popular Business Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Case Western is located in Cleveland, Ohio and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 doctor’s degrees to qualified students.

Around 45% of those degree recipients were women.

Online graduate courses are available at Case Western, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 17% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read full report on Case Western Reserve University

#12

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois
20 Total Awards
$9,378 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #12, Concordia University, Chicago did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for business students working on their doctor’s degree. Located in River Forest, Illinois, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 20 doctor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.

Around 50% of those degree recipients were women.

Concordia University, Chicago does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 98% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full Concordia University, Chicago Report

#14

University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
17 Total Awards
$17,277 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #14, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for business students working on their doctor’s degree. UIC is located in Chicago, Illinois and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 doctor’s degrees to qualified students.

Of those students who received their degree, 47% were women.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at UIC. In fact, around 95% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read full report on University of Illinois at Chicago

#15

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
12 Total Awards
$11,329 Average Tuition & Fees

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Business Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctor’s degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 42% were women.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since IU Bloomington does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 74% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Report

#15

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin
12 Total Awards
$9,307 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #15 on this year’s Most Popular Business Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Whitewater is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 doctor’s degrees to qualified students.

Around 58% of those degree recipients were women.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since UW - Whitewater does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 84% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read full report on University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

#17

Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago, Illinois
10 Total Awards
$30,822 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #17, Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for business students working on their doctor’s degree. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 10 doctor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 30% were women.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Illinois Tech. In 2019-2020 about 42% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full Illinois Institute of Technology Report

#18

Franklin University

Columbus, Ohio
9 Total Awards

With a ranking of #18, Franklin University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for business students working on their doctor’s degree. Franklin University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 9 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 44% were women.

Franklin University is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each graduate student at the school took at least one class online.

Read More…

9 Total Awards
$23,918 Average Tuition & Fees

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Chicago landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular doctor’s degree business programs. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 9 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 67% of those degree recipients were women.

One thing to take note of is that The Chicago School Chicago Campus does offer online graduate classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 28% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Full The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Chicago Report

#18

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
9 Total Awards
$18,341 Average Tuition & Fees

DePaul University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for business students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #18 on the list. This large private not-for-profit school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 9 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 33% of those degree recipients were women.

One thing to take note of is that DePaul does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 96% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full DePaul University Report

#18

Indiana Institute of Technology

Fort Wayne, Indiana
9 Total Awards

Indiana Institute of Technology landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular doctor’s degree business programs. Indiana Institute of Technology is a small private not-for-profit school located in Fort Wayne, Indiana that handed out 9 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 44% were women.

Since the graduate programs at Indiana Tech are primarily online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.

Read full report on Indiana Institute of Technology

#22

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
8 Total Awards
$12,220 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular doctor’s degree business programs. UWM is a public institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 63% of those degree recipients were women.

Online graduate courses are available at UWM, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 82% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read More…

#23

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois
7 Total Awards
$12,096 Average Tuition & Fees

National Louis University ranked #23 on this year’s Most Popular Business Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. NLU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 7 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 29% were women.

NLU does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 59% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on National Louis University

6 Total Awards
$16,162 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #24, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for business students working on their doctor’s degree. SIUC is located in Carbondale, Illinois and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 doctor’s degrees to qualified students.

Around 33% of those degree recipients were women.

Online graduate courses are available at SIUC, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 24% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#25

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
5 Total Awards
$11,390 Average Tuition & Fees

Northern Illinois University landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular doctor’s degree business programs. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large public school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 5 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Online graduate courses are available at NIU, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 43% took at least some of their classes online.

Full Northern Illinois University Report

View Most Popular Business Doctor’s Degree Schools Nationwide >

Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

References

  • 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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