2026 Best Community College Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Community College Education is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for community college education students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

• Best Community College Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Best Schools for Community College Education in the Great Lakes Region

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the community college education degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Community College Education

1

Ball State University
Muncie, IN

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

13 Community College Education Degrees Awarded

$63,782 Median Starting Salary

No school ranked higher than Ball State University this year for community college education. Set in the city of Muncie, Ball State University is a very large public institution. Ball State University graduates 62% of students within six years. There were roughly 13 community college education students who graduated with this degree at Ball State University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the community college education program make about $63,782 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $24,518 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in community college education from Ball State University

2

Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

19 Community College Education Degrees Awarded

$96,834 Median Starting Salary

Ferris State University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in community college education, ranking #2. Set in the town of Big Rapids, Ferris State University is a large public institution. Roughly 56% of students complete a degree within six years here. Ferris State University awarded about 19 community college education degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the community college education program make about $96,834 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $23,562. More information about a degree in community college education from Ferris State University

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 7 schools evaluated.

• 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 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.