Graduate school can be a great investment in your future, but with so many choices, it might feel difficult to find the right fit for you. This list is a great place to start your grad school search! The following colleges and universities are located in the Midwestern and Western part of the United States and offer advanced programs that can help you jump-start, accelerate, or change the direction of your career. If you’re not from the area, all of these institutions offer fully online program options as well. We make it easy to request more information from these grad schools too. If something sounds interesting, just click the “Connect me” button underneath each school—then they'll reach out to you. You may have never heard of some of these grad schools before, but they could be the perfect match for you and your educational goals. Learn more about them now!
ERAU–Prescott
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is a private specialized institution with campuses in Prescott, Arizona, and Daytona Beach, Florida. ERAU–Prescott offers three graduate programs that lead to a Master of Science in Cyber Intelligence & Security, Safety Science, and Security & Intelligence Studies. The STEM Education Center features advanced labs and technologies to support cutting-edge research, and students also benefit from resources like the Global Security & Intelligence Studies Simulation Lab, where they can engage in scenario-based learning.
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Mayo Clinic College of Medicine & Science
The Mayo Clinic College of Health & Medicine is a specialized medical college with campuses in Rochester, Minnesota; Jacksonville, Florida; and Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona. The Mayo Clinic’s 1,000+ graduate students pursue advanced degrees in over 45 academic programs through the School of Health Sciences, the MD program through the Alix School of Medicine, and the Biomedical PhD program through the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Full integration with Mayo Clinic patient care creates a uniquely rewarding learning environment extending throughout the medical center campus.
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Mount Carmel College of Nursing
Mount Carmel College of Nursing is a private, specialized Catholic college in the heart of Columbus, Ohio. The College offers master’s and doctorate nursing programs with concentrations in Adult & Geriatrics, Acute Care, Family Nurse Practitioner, Nursing Leadership, and Psychiatric Nursing. Mount Carmel’s partnerships with top health care institutions provide hands-on clinical experiences, ensuring graduate students are prepared for real-world challenges through expert training.
Ohio University
Ohio University is a public comprehensive institution with a 1,800-acre campus in Athens, Ohio—75 miles southeast of Columbus. The University offers graduate and professional education, with advanced and specialized courses of study, supervised practical experience, and research opportunities. The Chronicle of Higher Education lists Ohio U among the top producers of Fulbright Award–winning students in the nation, and currently the University ranks among the top in the state for nationally competitive awards won by its students.
Palmer College of Chiropractic
Palmer College of Chiropractic is a private institution in Davenport, Iowa, with branch a campus in Port Orange, Florida. With over 2,000 students across campuses and a low 15:1 student-faculty ratio, Palmer offers students an essential path to a Doctor of Chiropractic degree. Known as the birthplace of chiropractic and chiropractic education, Palmer students are trained in chiropractic care; therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises nutritional, dietary, and lifestyle counseling; patient assessment through laboratory testing, clinical examination, and diagnostic imaging; and determining when chiropractic treatment isn’t appropriate.
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University is a Jesuit, Catholic university with a 282-acre campus in St. Louis, Missouri. The University has more than 100 graduate and professional programs as well as two graduate programs that can be completed on SLU’s campus in Madrid, Spain. In addition to the Master of Arts in Political Science & Public Affairs and the Master of Arts in Spanish, SLU-Madrid also hosts summer programs for students pursuing graduate degrees in Law and Business.
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a public research institution on a 250-acre campus just two miles from downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. Ranked among the “Best Graduate Schools” by U.S. News & World Report, the University offers more than 375 graduate degree and certificate programs—including an MBA, a major in Literacy & Second Language Studies, a program in Medical Science Laboratory Science Leadership, and more—to 11,000+ graduate students. Investing in tomorrow’s leaders, UC ranks in the top 3% in annual research expenditures among institutions that invest more than $50 million per year.
University of Colorado Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a comprehensive public university on a 600-acre campus in Boulder, Colorado—27 miles northwest of Denver. Students can choose from 190 graduate programs across seven colleges and schools, including the Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Engineering and Applied Science; Media, Communication, and Information; Music; Law; Business; and Education. CU Boulder is one of the nation’s top-ranked Tier 1 research institutions that’s home to 12 research institutes and 75 research centers, plus a dynamic and diverse community of scholars and students that work together on hands-on, real-world projects that merge experience and academia.
University of Illinois Springfield
The University of Illinois Springfield is a public comprehensive university in Springfield, Illinois—90 miles from St. Louis. UIS’s more than 4,500 students engage in active teaching and learning through more than 100 degree-granting programs across four colleges, including master’s, doctorate, and advanced certificate programs in 74 disciplines. Many of the University’s grad programs provide opportunities for students to engage in faculty-supervised scholarship, research, or pre-professional practical experiences as part of degree work.
University of Idaho
The University of Idaho is a public comprehensive land-grant research institution in Moscow, Idaho—90 miles southeast of Spokane, Washington. The University offers its 2,500+ grad students 90 advanced programs through the College of Graduate Studies, including research-based degrees in Business, Agriculture, Animal Science, Architecture, Engineering, and more. Research is at the heart of U of I’s programs, with $100 million going toward annual grants, contracts, and graduate research projects.
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a premier private research institution in Missouri that serves over 8,100 graduate and professional students. The University offers more than 130 graduate degrees, including top-ranked programs in Social Work, Medicine, Law, and Business. Graduate students conduct advanced research in state-of-the-art facilities like the Cortex Innovation Community and benefit from a collaborative, "Midwestern friendly" culture that emphasizes both academic rigor and holistic student wellness.
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