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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Labor & Industrial Relations Schools in the Great Lakes Region

3 Colleges in the United States
252 Labor & Industrial Relations Degrees Awarded
$67,664 Avg Early-Career Salary

Labor & Industrial Relations degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.

College Factual analyzed 6 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best labor & industrial relations schools.

What’s on this page:

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Best Schools for Labor & Industrial Relations in the Great Lakes Region

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall labor & industrial relations education in the Great Lakes Region.

Top Schools in Labor & Industrial Relations

1

No school ranked higher than University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign this year for labor & industrial relations. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 85%. There were roughly 132 labor & industrial relations students who graduated with this degree at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign in the most recent data year. Graduates of the labor & industrial relations program make about $89,637 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $20,778 to complete this degree. Read more about the labor & industrial relations program at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign

2
Michigan State University crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI

Students looking for a strong labor & industrial relations program will find one at Michigan State University, which ranked #2. Michigan State University is a very large public school located in the city of East Lansing. Michigan State University graduates 81% of students within six years. There were roughly 60 labor & industrial relations students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, labor & industrial relations degree recipients from Michigan State University generally make around $78,014. Students borrow a median of $23,475 to complete this degree. See the full labor & industrial relations program report for Michigan State University

3

Students looking for a strong labor & industrial relations program will find one at Wayne State University, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Detroit, Wayne State University is a very large public institution. Wayne State University graduates 58% of students within six years. Wayne State University awarded about 12 labor & industrial relations degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the labor & industrial relations program make about $48,324 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $24,213 to complete this degree. Get the full labor & industrial relations details for Wayne State University

4

Students looking for a strong labor & industrial relations program will find one at Cleveland State University, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Cleveland, Cleveland State University is a large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 51%. There were roughly 48 labor & industrial relations students who graduated with this degree at Cleveland State University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their labor & industrial relations degree from Cleveland State University earn around $54,679 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $27,000. See the full labor & industrial relations program report for Cleveland State University

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Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 6 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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