by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 118 schools in the Great Lakes Region to determine which ones were the best for marketing students pursuing a bachelor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 8,377 bachelor's degrees in marketing to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
The marketing bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality marketing program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their bachelor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your bachelor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for marketing students working on their bachelor's degree.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Marketing Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.
To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in marketing. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
University of Wisconsin - Madison is a great decision for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in marketing. Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the marketing degree program at University of Wisconsin - Madison get $18,166 above the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a bachelor’s in marketing from University of Wisconsin - Madison
It is difficult to beat University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in marketing. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population.
Marketing bachelor's degree recipients from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign earn a boost of about $22,215 above the average earnings of marketing graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in marketing from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Any student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in marketing needs to check out University of Notre Dame. Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.
Marketing bachelor's degree recipients from University of Notre Dame receive an earnings boost of about $16,848 above the average earnings of marketing majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in marketing from University of Notre Dame
Michigan State University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in marketing. Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a very large student population.
Those marketing students who get their bachelor's degree from Michigan State University receive $10,217 more than the standard marketing graduate.
More information about a bachelor’s in marketing from Michigan State University
Ohio State is a very large public university located in the city of Columbus.
Bachelor's recipients from the marketing degree program at Ohio State University - Main Campus make $9,407 more than the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a bachelor’s in marketing from Ohio State University - Main Campus
Miami University - Oxford is a large public university located in the town of Oxford.
Those marketing students who get their bachelor's degree from Miami University - Oxford receive $11,985 more than the standard marketing student.
More information about a bachelor’s in marketing from Miami University - Oxford
Located in the city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Those marketing students who get their bachelor's degree from DePaul University earn $2,954 more than the average marketing grad.
More information about a bachelor’s in marketing from DePaul University
UC is a very large public university located in the large city of Cincinnati.
Bachelor's recipients from the marketing degree program at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus make $3,578 more than the standard graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a bachelor’s in marketing from University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
Purdue is a fairly large public university located in the small city of West Lafayette.
Marketing bachelor's degree recipients from Purdue University - Main Campus get an earnings boost of around $9,610 over the typical earnings of marketing majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in marketing from Purdue University - Main Campus
Located in the large city of Milwaukee, Marquette is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Marketing bachelor's degree recipients from Marquette University get an earnings boost of around $6,357 over the average income of marketing graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in marketing from Marquette University
Located in the large city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.
Those marketing students who get their bachelor's degree from Loyola University Chicago earn $4,007 more than the standard marketing grad.
More information about a bachelor’s in marketing from Loyola University Chicago
UDayton is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Dayton.
Those marketing students who get their bachelor's degree from University of Dayton receive $7,446 more than the typical marketing graduate.
More information about a bachelor’s in marketing from University of Dayton
UW - Whitewater is a fairly large public university located in the distant town of Whitewater.
Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the marketing program make around $47,664 in their early career salary.
More information about a bachelor’s in marketing from University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
Located in the city of Kalamazoo, WMU is a public university with a large student population.
Those marketing students who get their bachelor's degree from Western Michigan University receive $6,023 more than the average marketing student.
More information about a bachelor’s in marketing from Western Michigan University
OHIO Athens is a very large public university located in the town of Athens.
Marketing bachelor's degree recipients from Ohio University - Athens Campus get an earnings boost of approximately $7,964 over the average income of marketing majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in marketing from Ohio University - Athens Campus
Located in the midsize suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a very large student population.
Marketing bachelor's degree recipients from Illinois State University receive an earnings boost of approximately $4,629 over the typical income of marketing majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in marketing from Illinois State University
Located in the large suburb of University Heights, John Carroll is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.
Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the marketing program make an average of $48,890 in the first couple years of their career.
More information about a bachelor’s in marketing from John Carroll University
Located in the city of Toledo, University of Toledo is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the marketing major at University of Toledo earn $3,948 more than the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a bachelor’s in marketing from University of Toledo
Located in the city of Eau Claire, UW - Eau Claire is a public university with a moderately-sized student population.
Marketing bachelor's degree recipients from University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire receive an earnings boost of about $4,563 above the average income of marketing majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in marketing from University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
Located in the town of Allendale, GVSU is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Soon after graduating, marketing bachelor's recipients usually make an average of $46,022 in their early careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in marketing from Grand Valley State University
Xavier is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Cincinnati.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the marketing program state that they receive average early career earnings of $48,015.
More information about a bachelor’s in marketing from Xavier University
UIC is a very large public university located in the large city of Chicago.
After graduation, marketing bachelor's recipients generally earn around $42,782 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in marketing from University of Illinois at Chicago
NIU is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of Dekalb.
Those marketing students who get their bachelor's degree from Northern Illinois University receive $4,079 more than the standard marketing grad.
More information about a bachelor’s in marketing from Northern Illinois UniversityLearn about other programs related to Marketing that might interest you.
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BS in Marketing - Social Media Marketing
Gain an in-depth understanding of today's constantly evolving social media world with this specialized online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Marketing Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | Oakland University | Rochester Hills, MI |
| 25 | Central Michigan University | Mount Pleasant, MI |
| 26 | Butler University | Indianapolis, IN |
| 27 | Augustana College | Rock Island, IL |
| 28 | Kent State University at Kent | Kent, OH |
| 29 | Northwood University | Midland, MI |
| 30 | University of Wisconsin - La Crosse | La Crosse, WI |
| 31 | University of Michigan - Dearborn | Dearborn, MI |
| 32 | University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee | Milwaukee, WI |
| 33 | Illinois Wesleyan University | Bloomington, IL |
| 34 | Bowling Green State University - Main Campus | Bowling Green, OH |
| 35 | Eastern Michigan University | Ypsilanti, MI |
| 36 | Ball State University | Muncie, IN |
| 37 | Elmhurst University | Elmhurst, IL |
| 38 | North Central College | Naperville, IL |
| 39 | Ferris State University | Big Rapids, MI |
Explore the best marketing colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .
Marketing is one of 21 different types of Business, Management & Marketing programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Marketing/Marketing Management, General | 8,123 |
| Other Marketing | 216 |
| Digital Marketing | 26 |
| Marketing Research | 12 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Business Administration & Management | 15,832 |
| Finance & Financial Management | 9,072 |
| Accounting | 6,561 |
| General Business/Commerce | 4,945 |
| Human Resource Management | 1,877 |
| Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods | 1,868 |
| Management Information Systems | 1,255 |
| Hospitality Management | 779 |
| Construction Management | 636 |
| International Business | 608 |
