2023 Best Health Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Finding the Best Health Professions School for You
In 2020-2021, 977,800 health professions students received a degree or certificate, making the major the #2 most popular in the country.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. 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 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, Course Advisor has developed this Best Health Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This report analyzed 367 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Health Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Health Professions Colleges.
Top 25 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in Health Professions
Our 2023 rankings named Midwestern University - Downers Grove the best school in the Great Lakes Region for health professions students. Midwestern University - Downers Grove is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Downers Grove.
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The excellent programs at Medical College of Wisconsin helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best health professions schools in the Great Lakes Region . Located in the large suburb of Milwaukee, Medical College of Wisconsin is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
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Out of the 367 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Evanston.
Health Professions majors at Northwestern take out an average of $14,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Out of the 367 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Orion Institute. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Health Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Healing Arts Institute is a small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Perrysburg.
After completing their degree, health professions graduates from Healing Arts Institute carry an average student debtload of $7,885.
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University of Wisconsin - La Crosse came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Health Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the city of La Crosse, UW - La Crosse is a public school with a large student population.
Health Professions majors at UW - La Crosse take out an average of $24,875 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Health Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. RFUMS is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of North Chicago.
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Marietta College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Health Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the town of Marietta, Marietta is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Flex landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best health professions programs. UWM Flexible Option is a small public school located in the city of Milwaukee.
The average amount in student loans that health professions majors at UWM Flexible Option take out is $29,451. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $272.
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Mahoning County Career and Technical Center ranked #10 on this year’s Best Health Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the large suburb of Canfield, Mahoning County Career and Technical Center is a public college with a small student population.
On average, health professions graduates from Mahoning County Career and Technical Center take out $10,431 in student loans while working on their degree.
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University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Health Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW - Madison is a very large public school located in the large city of Madison.
The average amount in student loans that health professions majors at UW - Madison take out is $24,337.
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Kettering College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Health Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the small city of Kettering, Kettering College is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
On average, health professions graduates from Kettering College take out $30,246 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Madison Area Technical College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Health Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the city of Madison, Madison College is a public college with a large student population.
While working on their degree, health professions majors at Madison College accumulate an average of around $21,312 in student debt.
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Rush University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for health professions students. It came in at #14 on the list. Located in the city of Chicago, Rush University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that health professions majors at Rush University take out is $33,989.
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Chamberlain University - Illinois came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Health Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the suburb of Addison, Chamberlain - Illinois is a private for-profit school with a very large student population.
After completing their degree, health professions graduates from Chamberlain - Illinois carry an average student debtload of $38,460. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $256.
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Ross Medical Education Center - Brighton did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for health professions students. It came in at #16 on the list. Located in the midsize suburb of Brighton, Ross - Brighton is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
After completing their degree, health professions graduates from Ross - Brighton carry an average student debtload of $17,146.
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Case Western Reserve University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Health Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the large city of Cleveland, Case Western is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
While working on their degree, health professions majors at Case Western accumulate an average of around $24,201 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $272.
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DeVry University - Illinois did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for health professions students. It came in at #18 on the list. Located in the city of Chicago, DeVry University - Illinois is a private for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
Health Professions majors at DeVry University - Illinois take out an average of $39,931 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Herzing University - Brookfield landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best health professions programs. Herzing University - Brookfield is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Brookfield.
Health Professions majors at Herzing University - Brookfield take out an average of $29,522 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $204, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Health Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW - River Falls is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of River Falls.
While working on their degree, health professions majors at UW - River Falls accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt.
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Saint Mary’s College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Health Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. St. Mary's College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Notre Dame.
Health Professions majors at St. Mary's College take out an average of $26,500 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best health professions programs. Located in the city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public college with a fairly large student population.
While working on their degree, health professions majors at IU Bloomington accumulate an average of around $21,882 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $327.
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With a ranking of #23, Ross Medical Education Center - Ann Arbor did quite well on this year’s best schools for health professions students. Located in the suburb of Ann Arbor, Ross - Ann Arbor is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
On average, health professions graduates from Ross - Ann Arbor take out $9,500 in student loans while working on their degree.
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University of St Francis did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for health professions students. It came in at #24 on the list. Located in the suburb of Joliet, University of Saint Francis is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that health professions majors at University of Saint Francis take out is $28,545. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $332.
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Marquette University landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best health professions programs. Located in the large city of Milwaukee, Marquette is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
After completing their degree, health professions graduates from Marquette carry an average student debtload of $24,500. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $511.
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Request InformationRest of the Top Best Health Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Additional Award Winners
This section represents the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Health Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 367 different Great Lakes health professions schools we analyzed.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | CALC Institute of Technology | Alton, IL |
| 52 | Fox Valley Technical College | Appleton, WI |
| 53 | University of Wisconsin - Green Bay | Green Bay, WI |
| 54 | Cuyahoga Valley Career Center | Brecksville, OH |
| 55 | Mount Mary University | Milwaukee, WI |
Honorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Health Professions Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 56 | Ross Medical Education Center - Ontario | Ontario, OH |
| 57 | Fox College | Bedford Park, IL |
| 58 | University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh | Oshkosh, WI |
| 59 | Chippewa Valley Technical College | Eau Claire, WI |
| 60 | University of Wisconsin - Stout | Menomonie, WI |
| 60 | Michigan State University | East Lansing, MI |
| 62 | Muskingum University | New Concord, OH |
| 63 | Purdue University - Main Campus | West Lafayette, IN |
| 64 | Mercy College of Ohio | Toledo, OH |
| 65 | Viterbo University | La Crosse, WI |
| 66 | Loyola University Chicago | Chicago, IL |
| 67 | Collins Career Technical Center | Chesapeake, OH |
| 68 | Ross College-Sylvania | Sylvania, OH |
| 69 | Oak Point University | Chicago, IL |
| 70 | Illinois State University | Normal, IL |
| 71 | Calvin University | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 72 | Herzing University - Kenosha | Kenosha, WI |
| 73 | Blackhawk Technical College | Janesville, WI |
Best Health Professions Colleges by State
Explore the best health professions colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Indiana | 17,552 |
| Michigan | 17,976 |
| Ohio | 28,247 |
| Illinois | 34,790 |
| Wisconsin | 11,436 |
More Health Professions Rankings in the Great Lakes Region
Rankings in Majors Related to Health Professions
Health Professions Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Nursing | 322,592 |
| Health & Medical Administrative Services | 89,359 |
| Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services | 84,492 |
| Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants | 84,274 |
| Allied Health Professions | 82,308 |
| Public Health | 40,596 |
| Health Sciences & Services | 35,945 |
| Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions | 29,833 |
| Mental & Social Health Services | 29,053 |
| Medicine | 28,629 |
| Dental Support Services | 26,399 |
| Communication Sciences | 22,298 |
| Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences | 20,393 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science | 18,901 |
| Somatic Bodywork & Therapeutic Services | 10,751 |
| Health/Medical Prep Programs | 9,210 |
| Other Health Professions | 7,984 |
| Dentistry | 6,770 |
| Dietetics & Clinical Nutrition Services | 6,158 |
| Bioethics/Medical Ethics | 5,115 |
| Alternative Medicine & Systems | 3,564 |
| Chiropractic | 2,658 |
| Health Aids/Attendants/Orderlies | 2,374 |
| Medical Illustration & Informatics | 2,089 |
| Optometry | 1,822 |
| Advanced Dentistry & Oral Sciences | 1,775 |
| Ophthalmic & Optometric Support Services | 960 |
| Medical Science | 909 |
| Movement & Mind-Body Therapies | 294 |
| Alternative Medical Support Services | 227 |
| Energy & Biologically Based Therapies | 68 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- 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 the rest 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.