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2025 Best Business, Management & Marketing Schools in the Great Lakes Region

244 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
125,167 Business, Management & Marketing Degrees Awarded
$55,305 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #1 in popularity, business, management & marketing is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 244 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Business, Management & Marketing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 125,167 degrees in business, management & marketing annually.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Business, Management & Marketing School

Best Business, Management & Marketing Schools in the Great Lakes Region Your choice of business, management & marketing school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Business, Management & Marketing School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Business, Management & Marketing Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Business, Management & Marketing
Bachelor's Degrees in Business, Management & Marketing
Master's Degrees in Business, Management & Marketing
Doctor's Degrees in Business, Management & Marketing

The business, management & marketing school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Business, Management & Marketing Schools in the Great Lakes Region. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Business, Management & Marketing in the Great Lakes Region

The schools below may not offer all types of business, management & marketing degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in Business, Management & Marketing

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2,812 Business, Management & Marketing Degrees Awarded
0.9% Growth in Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in business, management & marketing needs to check out Northwestern University. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were about 2812 business, management & marketing students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Those business, management & marketing students who get their degree from Northwestern University make $123,011 more than the standard business, management & marketing student.

More information about a degree in business, management & marketing from Northwestern University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,599 Business, Management & Marketing Degrees Awarded
$129,320 Median Starting Salary

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in business, management & marketing. U-M is a fairly large public university located in the city of Ann Arbor. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were approximately 1599 business, management & marketing students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year. Those business, management & marketing students who get their degree from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor receive $74,014 more than the average business, management & marketing student.

More information about a degree in business, management & marketing from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

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Masters Degree Type
MS in Management Program Name

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3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3,452 Business, Management & Marketing Degrees Awarded
4.9% Growth in Graduates

Indiana University - Bloomington is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a degree in business, management & marketing. IU Bloomington is a very large public university located in the small city of Bloomington. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.

There were about 3452 business, management & marketing students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the business, management & marketing major at Indiana University - Bloomington make $36,716 more than the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in business, management & marketing from Indiana University - Bloomington

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3,747 Business, Management & Marketing Degrees Awarded
23.1% Growth in Graduates

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in business, management & marketing. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #41 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 3747 business, management & marketing students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. Business, Management & Marketing degree recipients from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign receive an earnings boost of about $26,640 over the typical earnings of business, management & marketing graduates.

More information about a degree in business, management & marketing from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,325 Business, Management & Marketing Degrees Awarded
15.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #29 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.

There were roughly 1325.0000000000002 business, management & marketing students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the business, management & marketing program at University of Notre Dame get $46,885 above the typical college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in business, management & marketing from University of Notre Dame

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2,548 Business, Management & Marketing Degrees Awarded
1.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #40 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were about 2548 business, management & marketing students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Those business, management & marketing students who get their degree from University of Wisconsin - Madison receive $18,722 more than the typical business, management & marketing student.

More information about a degree in business, management & marketing from University of Wisconsin - Madison

7
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2,291 Business, Management & Marketing Degrees Awarded
$78,455 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #54 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 2291 business, management & marketing students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the business, management & marketing major at Michigan State University get $23,150 above the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in business, management & marketing from Michigan State University

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Associates Degree Type
AS in Business Administration Program Name

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8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2,690 Business, Management & Marketing Degrees Awarded
0.4% Growth in Graduates

Ohio State is a fairly large public university located in the city of Columbus. A Best Colleges rank of #70 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Ohio State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 2690 business, management & marketing students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent year we have data available. Business, Management & Marketing degree recipients from Ohio State University - Main Campus receive an earnings boost of approximately $13,002 above the typical earnings of business, management & marketing majors.

More information about a degree in business, management & marketing from Ohio State University - Main Campus

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,884 Business, Management & Marketing Degrees Awarded
2.4% Growth in Graduates

Purdue is a very large public university located in the city of West Lafayette. A Best Colleges rank of #65 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Purdue is a great university overall.

There were approximately 1884 business, management & marketing students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the business, management & marketing program at Purdue University - Main Campus get $8,829 above the typical college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in business, management & marketing from Purdue University - Main Campus

10
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,742 Business, Management & Marketing Degrees Awarded
$69,456 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 7th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 1742 business, management & marketing students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent data year. Business, Management & Marketing degree recipients from DePaul University get an earnings boost of around $14,150 over the average earnings of business, management & marketing graduates.

More information about a degree in business, management & marketing from DePaul University

11
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,178 Business, Management & Marketing Degrees Awarded
$68,425 Median Starting Salary

Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large public university located in the fringe town of Oxford. This university ranks 5th out of 91 schools for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were roughly 1178 business, management & marketing students who graduated with this degree at Miami University - Oxford in the most recent data year. Business, Management & Marketing degree recipients from Miami University - Oxford get an earnings boost of approximately $13,120 above the average income of business, management & marketing graduates.

More information about a degree in business, management & marketing from Miami University - Oxford

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Masters Degree Type
MBA Program Name

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12
Marquette crest
Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
795 Business, Management & Marketing Degrees Awarded
$70,590 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Milwaukee, Marquette is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #114 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Marquette is a great university overall.

There were about 795 business, management & marketing students who graduated with this degree at Marquette in the most recent year we have data available. Business, Management & Marketing degree recipients from Marquette University get an earnings boost of about $15,285 over the average income of business, management & marketing graduates.

More information about a degree in business, management & marketing from Marquette University

13
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,260 Business, Management & Marketing Degrees Awarded
16.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #100 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.

There were about 1260 business, management & marketing students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the business, management & marketing degree program at Loyola University Chicago get $14,242 more than the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in business, management & marketing from Loyola University Chicago

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,036 Business, Management & Marketing Degrees Awarded
$65,976 Median Starting Salary

Located in the rural area of Marion, IWU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 6th out of 41 schools for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were approximately 1036 business, management & marketing students who graduated with this degree at IWU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the business, management & marketing degree program at Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global get $10,670 above the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in business, management & marketing from Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global

15
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,445 Business, Management & Marketing Degrees Awarded
$70,877 Median Starting Salary

OHIO Athens is a very large public university located in the town of Athens. This university ranks 7th out of 91 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were roughly 1445 business, management & marketing students who graduated with this degree at OHIO Athens in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the business, management & marketing degree program at Ohio University - Athens Campus get $15,572 above the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in business, management & marketing from Ohio University - Athens Campus

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Bachelors Degree Type
BS in Business Administration Program Name

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16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2,063 Business, Management & Marketing Degrees Awarded
$59,450 Median Starting Salary

UC is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Cincinnati. This university ranks 6th out of 91 schools for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were about 2063 business, management & marketing students who graduated with this degree at UC in the most recent year we have data available. Those business, management & marketing students who get their degree from University of Cincinnati - Main Campus earn $4,145 more than the standard business, management & marketing student.

More information about a degree in business, management & marketing from University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

17
Ivy Tech Community College crest
Ivy Tech Community College
Indianapolis, IN
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
5,066 Business, Management & Marketing Degrees Awarded
$35,839 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Indianapolis, Ivy Tech Community College is a public college with a very large student population. This college ranks 4th out of 41 schools for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were approximately 5066 business, management & marketing students who graduated with this degree at Ivy Tech Community College in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the business, management & marketing program make around $35,839 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in business, management & marketing from Ivy Tech Community College

18
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
469 Business, Management & Marketing Degrees Awarded
$37,996 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Kenosha, Gateway Technical College is a public college with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 4th out of 46 colleges for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were roughly 469 business, management & marketing students who graduated with this degree at Gateway Technical College in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the business, management & marketing program state that they receive average early career earnings of $37,996.

More information about a degree in business, management & marketing from Gateway Technical College

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
507 Business, Management & Marketing Degrees Awarded
$80,636 Median Starting Salary

Case Western is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Cleveland. A Best Colleges rank of #116 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Case Western is a great university overall.

There were about 507.00000000000006 business, management & marketing students who graduated with this degree at Case Western in the most recent year we have data available. Those business, management & marketing students who get their degree from Case Western Reserve University earn $25,331 more than the typical business, management & marketing student.

More information about a degree in business, management & marketing from Case Western Reserve University

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Masters Degree Type
MBA in Entrepreneurship Program Name

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More information about a degree in MBA in Entrepreneurship from Southern New Hampshire University

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20
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
474 Business, Management & Marketing Degrees Awarded
$42,165 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Madison, Madison College is a public college with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 5th out of 46 colleges for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were approximately 474 business, management & marketing students who graduated with this degree at Madison College in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the business, management & marketing program make about $42,165 for their early career.

More information about a degree in business, management & marketing from Madison Area Technical College

21
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
790 Business, Management & Marketing Degrees Awarded
$61,856 Median Starting Salary

UDayton is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Dayton. This university ranks 8th out of 91 schools for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were about 790 business, management & marketing students who graduated with this degree at UDayton in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the business, management & marketing major at University of Dayton get $6,551 more than the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in business, management & marketing from University of Dayton

22
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,310 Business, Management & Marketing Degrees Awarded
$59,601 Median Starting Salary

Central Michigan is a large public university located in the town of Mount Pleasant. This university ranks 6th out of 56 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were about 1310 business, management & marketing students who graduated with this degree at Central Michigan in the most recent data year. Business, Management & Marketing degree recipients from Central Michigan University get an earnings boost of about $4,296 over the typical income of business, management & marketing graduates.

More information about a degree in business, management & marketing from Central Michigan University

23
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
81 Business, Management & Marketing Degrees Awarded
19.8% Growth in Graduates

Wheaton College Illinois is a small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Wheaton. This college ranks 13th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 81 business, management & marketing students who graduated with this degree at Wheaton College Illinois in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, business, management & marketing degree recipients typically make about $55,300 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in business, management & marketing from Wheaton College Illinois

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Masters Degree Type
MBA in Finance Program Name

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More information about a degree in MBA in Finance from Southern New Hampshire University

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24
Xavier crest
Xavier University
Cincinnati, OH
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
493 Business, Management & Marketing Degrees Awarded
$73,609 Median Starting Salary

Xavier is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Cincinnati. This university ranks 10th out of 91 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were roughly 493 business, management & marketing students who graduated with this degree at Xavier in the most recent data year. Those business, management & marketing students who get their degree from Xavier University make $18,304 more than the average business, management & marketing student.

More information about a degree in business, management & marketing from Xavier University

25
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,127 Business, Management & Marketing Degrees Awarded
10.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Kalamazoo, WMU is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 4th out of 56 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were approximately 1127 business, management & marketing students who graduated with this degree at WMU in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, business, management & marketing degree recipients usually earn about $54,894 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in business, management & marketing from Western Michigan University

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

26
27
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, MI
28
29
30
31
32

33

34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41

42
John Carroll crest
John Carroll University
University Heights, OH

43
COD crest
College of DuPage
Glen Ellyn, IL
44
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, IL
45
46
47
48

Additional Noteworthy Schools

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, Management & Marketing Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.

Rank College Location
49 Purdue University Global West Lafayette, IN
50 Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Green Bay, WI
51 Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL
52 Wayne State University Detroit, MI
53 Butler University Indianapolis, IN
54 William Rainey Harper College Palatine, IL
55 Illinois Wesleyan University Bloomington, IL
56 Denison University Granville, OH
57 Bradley University Peoria, IL
58 Elmhurst University Elmhurst, IL
59 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse La Crosse, WI
60 Davenport University Grand Rapids, MI
61 Ball State University Muncie, IN
62 Waukesha County Technical College Pewaukee, WI
63 Chippewa Valley Technical College Eau Claire, WI
64 Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI
65 Calvin University Grand Rapids, MI
66 Cleary University Howell, MI
67 Hope College Holland, MI
68 University of Wisconsin - Stout Menomonie, WI
69 University of Southern Indiana Evansville, IN
70 Indiana Wesleyan University Marion, IN
71 Concordia University, Wisconsin Mequon, WI
72 Herzing University - Madison Madison, WI
73 Concordia University, Chicago River Forest, IL
74 Franklin University Columbus, OH
75 University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH
76 Judson University Elgin, IL
77 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI
78 North Central College Naperville, IL
79 Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI
80 University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Green Bay, WI
81 Joliet Junior College Joliet, IL

Best Business, Management & Marketing Colleges by State

Explore the best business, management & marketing schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Indiana 38 18,221
Michigan 38 20,550
Ohio 38 24,998
Illinois 38 28,213
Wisconsin 37 13,097

View All Rankings >

Business, Management & Marketing Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Business Administration & Management 49,608
Accounting 14,167
Finance & Financial Management 9,998
Marketing 9,993
General Business/Commerce 9,703
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods 8,318
Business Support & Assistant Services 6,236
Human Resource Management 5,033
Entrepreneurial Studies 2,003
Management Information Systems 1,758

View All Business, Management & Marketing Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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