College research / Rankings

Entrepreneurship and Small Business Programs in the Midwest

Updated

Part of Best Business Colleges in the Midwest

Regional list from Top Entrepreneurship and Small Business Programs by Earnings

This page ranks the 20 Entrepreneurship and Small Business programs in the Midwest by median earnings of Entrepreneurship and Small Business graduates four years after completing. University of St Thomas leads the list with median earnings of $79,390 for its graduates after completing, followed by Grand Valley State University at $77,581 and University of Dayton at $77,318.

Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $79,390 to $31,848, with a median of $60,726. For 5 of the 20 programs the earnings figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.

Public institutions account for 65% of the list, with 13 public and 7 private nonprofit schools represented. Grand Valley State University ranks 210th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Wichita State University posts the lowest average net price at $13,194, while South Dakota State University reports the highest admission rate, admitting 98% of applicants.

The ranked list

20 schools in list order
RankSchoolProgram EarningsAverage net priceNet price, families under $30KAdmission rate
1University of St Thomas · Saint Paul, MN$79,390$29,155$28,13185.4%
University of St Thomas reports median earnings of $79,390 for its Entrepreneurship and Small Business graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $29,155.
2Grand Valley State University · Allendale, MI$77,581$16,317$12,27283.0%
Grand Valley State University ranks 210th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts median earnings of $77,581 for its Entrepreneurship and Small Business graduates four years after completing.
3University of Dayton · Dayton, OH$77,318$29,533$21,73665.5%
University of Dayton admits 65% of applicants and its Entrepreneurship and Small Business graduates earned a median of $77,318 four years after completing.
4Saint Louis University · Saint Louis, MO$70,895$24,398$22,50175.0%
Saint Louis University shows median federal debt of $25,000 among Entrepreneurship and Small Business completers who borrowed, with median earnings of $70,895 four years after completing.
5North Central College · Naperville, IL$68,750$21,044$12,50777.3%
Graduates across all fields who borrowed at North Central College left with a median of $24,500 in federal loans, and the school's Entrepreneurship and Small Business graduates earned a median of $68,750 four years after completing.
6University of Wisconsin-Whitewater · Whitewater, WI$67,300$14,158$8,44085.7%
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater reports an average net price of $14,158 and median earnings of $67,300 for its Entrepreneurship and Small Business graduates four years after completing.
7Miami University-Oxford · Oxford, OH$67,193$28,384$16,01575.4%
Miami University-Oxford ranks 7th on this list, with a cohort of 65 Entrepreneurship and Small Business graduates earning a median of $67,193 four years after completing.
8Marquette University · Milwaukee, WI$63,005$31,487$22,26981.3%
Marquette University posts an average net price of $31,487 and its Entrepreneurship and Small Business graduates earned a median of $63,005 four years after completing.
9Wichita State University · Wichita, KS$61,960$13,194$9,73494.0%
Wichita State University carries the lowest average net price on the page at $13,194, and its Entrepreneurship and Small Business graduates earned a median of $61,960 four years after completing.
10Kent State University at Kent · Kent, OH$61,642$20,787$15,28086.3%
Kent State University at Kent shows median federal debt of $25,000 among Entrepreneurship and Small Business completers who borrowed, alongside median earnings of $61,642 four years after completing.
11Kansas State University · Manhattan, KS$59,809$19,406$13,17881.7%
Kansas State University admits 82% of applicants and reports median earnings of $59,809 for its Entrepreneurship and Small Business graduates four years after completing.
12South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD$57,725$19,841$14,26698.3%
South Dakota State University has 14 graduates in the earnings cohort and reports median earnings of $57,725 for its Entrepreneurship and Small Business graduates four years after completing.
13Central Michigan University · Mount Pleasant, MI$56,553$17,597$12,18589.8%
Central Michigan University reports median earnings of $56,553 for its Entrepreneurship and Small Business graduates four years after completing, with 45 graduates in the earnings cohort.
14University of North Dakota · Grand Forks, ND$53,454$18,551$13,12676.9%
University of North Dakota, a public university in Grand Forks, admits 77% of applicants and shows an average net price of $18,551.
15Eastern Michigan University · Ypsilanti, MI$51,368$15,407$13,25079.6%
Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $25,000 in federal loans at Eastern Michigan University, which ranks 319th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
16Trinity Christian College · Palos Heights, IL$50,856$19,125$12,89184.9%
Trinity Christian College posts an average net price of $12,891 for families earning under $30,000, alongside median earnings of $50,856 for its Entrepreneurship and Small Business graduates four years after completing.
17Northern Michigan University · Marquette, MI$50,236$14,085$7,69784.0%
Northern Michigan University ranks 17th on this list and reports an average net price of $14,085.
18University of Toledo · Toledo, OH$41,565$17,249$13,52492.0%
With an admission rate of 92%, University of Toledo shows median earnings of $41,565 for its Entrepreneurship and Small Business graduates four years after completing.
19Bradley University · Peoria, IL$32,925$22,719$17,26976.8%
Bradley University ranks 587th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports an average net price of $17,269 for families earning under $30,000.
20Missouri State University-Springfield · Springfield, MO$31,848$17,613$13,71890.5%
Missouri State University-Springfield reports median earnings of $31,848 for its Entrepreneurship and Small Business graduates four years after completing, with 11 graduates in the earnings cohort.

How this list is ordered

Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Entrepreneurship and Small Business graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the Midwest appear. The figures are medians for federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 5 of the 20 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between University of St Thomas and Grand Valley State University is $1,809, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $47,542.