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2025 Best Education Doctor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region

35 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
1,809 Doctor's Degrees
$89,710 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a doctor's degree in education, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #3 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 35 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Education Doctor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,809 doctor's degrees in education during the 2022-2023 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Education School for Your Doctor's Degree

Best Education Doctor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region Your choice of education for getting your doctor's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality education program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To take this into account we include a college's overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their doctor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. That is, everyone wants their doctor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for education students working on their doctor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Education Schools

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Education Doctor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Best Schools for Doctorate Students to Study Education in the Great Lakes Region

Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for education students seeking a a doctor's degree.

10 Top Great Lakes Region Schools for a Doctorate in Education

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Annual Graduates

It is difficult to beat Purdue University - Main Campus if you wish to pursue a doctor's degree in education. Located in the small city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in education from Purdue University - Main Campus

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
31 Annual Graduates

It's hard to beat Illinois State University if you want to pursue a doctor's degree in education. Illinois State is a very large public university located in the midsize suburb of Normal.More information about a doctorate in education from Illinois State University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
81 Annual Graduates

Concordia University, Chicago is a good choice for students pursuing a doctor's degree in education. Located in the suburb of River Forest, Concordia University, Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a doctorate in education from Concordia University, Chicago

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
17 Annual Graduates

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a great decision for individuals pursuing a doctor's degree in education. Located in the large city of Cincinnati, UC is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in education from University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
81 Annual Graduates

UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Champaign.More information about a doctorate in education from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
76 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in education from Indiana University - Bloomington

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
61 Annual Graduates

Located in the small suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in education from Northern Illinois University

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
22 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Muncie, Ball State is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in education from Ball State University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
96 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in education from Ohio State University - Main Campus

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
35 Annual Graduates

Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago.More information about a doctorate in education from Loyola University Chicago

Best Education Colleges by State

Explore the best education schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Indiana 29 377
Michigan 29 322
Ohio 29 305
Illinois 29 562
Wisconsin 27 134

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Education Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Educational Administration 931
Curriculum & Instruction 264
General Education 245
Teacher Education Subject Specific 95
Instructional Media Design 67
Student Counseling 60
Education Philosophy 39
Other Education 36
Educational Assessment 27
Special Education 23

Majors Similar to Education

Related Major Annual Graduates
Library Science 2

Notes and References

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