NextChapter

Cities where the biggest share of jobs do not need a four-year degree in the Great Lakes

Rolling Meadows leads the Great Lakes: 26% of its jobs are in occupations that do not typically need a four-year degree, against 14% across all cities in our data.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from open jobs we verified on employer career sites.

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Key facts

  • #1 Rolling Meadows, IL: 26%
  • #2 Jeffersonville, IN: 25%
  • #3 Green Bay, WI: 22%
  • 39 cities ranked in the Great Lakes
  • Data as of November 2026

For comparison: 14% across all cities in our data.

  1. 1Rolling Meadows IL26%
  2. 2Jeffersonville IN25%
  3. 3Green Bay WI22%
  4. 4Appleton WI22%
  5. 5Toledo OH22%
  6. 6Evansville IN21%
  7. 7Peoria IL20%
  8. 8Oak Brook IL19%
  9. 9Downers Grove IL19%
  10. 10Mason OH19%

What stands out

  • The top ten is tightly packed: Rolling Meadows leads on 26%, and #10 Mason is at 19%.
  • Rolling Meadows is the largest market in the top ten, with 193 jobs matched to an occupation behind its figure.
  • Cities with fewer than 80 jobs matched to an occupation are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.

Why this ranking matters

What it shows

Some cities hire for a bigger share of occupations that need no four-year degree. The share shows where a job seeker without a bachelor's has the largest part of the market to aim at.

How to use it

Use it to compare cities for a search without a four-year degree, and read it beside the count so you do not chase a small market with a high share.

The top 25

  1. 1

    Rolling Meadows IL

    26%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    50
    Share of the city's jobs
    26%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    193

    Hiring most here: Arthur J. Gallagher, Gallagher Bassett, Gallagher

    Based on 193 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Rolling Meadows

  2. 2

    Jeffersonville IN

    25%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    23
    Share of the city's jobs
    25%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    92

    Hiring most here: Canadian Solar

    Based on 92 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Jeffersonville

  3. 3

    Green Bay WI

    22%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    22
    Share of the city's jobs
    22%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    99

    Hiring most here: Michels, W.W. Grainger

    Based on 99 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Green Bay

  4. 4

    Appleton WI

    22%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    27
    Share of the city's jobs
    22%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    123

    Hiring most here: Illinois Tool Works, Ducommun, Oshkosh

    Based on 123 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Appleton

  5. 5

    Toledo OH

    22%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    28
    Share of the city's jobs
    22%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    128

    Hiring most here: Owens Corning, Bon Secours Mercy Health, Turner Construction

    Based on 128 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Toledo

  6. 6

    Evansville IN

    21%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    18
    Share of the city's jobs
    21%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    87

    Hiring most here: Deaconess Homecare, Old National Bank, Deaconess Womens Hospital Of Southern Indiana

    Based on 87 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Evansville

  7. 7

    Peoria IL

    20%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    22
    Share of the city's jobs
    20%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    112

    Hiring most here: Osf Healthcare System, Caterpillar, Nexstar Media Group

    Based on 112 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Peoria

  8. 8

    Oak Brook IL

    19%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    18
    Share of the city's jobs
    19%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    93

    Hiring most here: Hub Group, Sotera Health

    Based on 93 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Oak Brook

  9. 9

    Downers Grove IL

    19%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    20
    Share of the city's jobs
    19%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    104

    Hiring most here: Zachry, Regal Rexnord, Glanbia

    Based on 104 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Downers Grove

  10. 10

    Mason OH

    19%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    20
    Share of the city's jobs
    19%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    105

    Hiring most here: Cintas, L3HARRIS Technologies, Procter & Gamble

    Based on 105 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Mason

  11. 11

    Cleveland OH

    17%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    115
    Share of the city's jobs
    17%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    663

    Hiring most here: Flexjet, Sherwin Williams, KeyBank

    Based on 663 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Cleveland

  12. 12

    Grand Rapids MI

    17%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    57
    Share of the city's jobs
    17%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    329

    Hiring most here: Corewell Health, Acrisure, BDO USA

    Based on 329 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Grand Rapids

  13. 13

    Naperville IL

    17%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    26
    Share of the city's jobs
    17%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    154

    Hiring most here: KeHE, viaPhoton, Wipfli

    Based on 154 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Naperville

  14. 14

    Rockford IL

    17%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    18
    Share of the city's jobs
    17%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    107

    Hiring most here: RTX, Woodward, Top Echelon Network (recruiter member boards)

    Based on 107 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Rockford

  15. 15

    Aurora IL

    17%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    14
    Share of the city's jobs
    17%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    84

    Hiring most here: Entegris, HelloFresh

    Based on 84 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Aurora

  16. 16

    Southfield MI

    16%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    30
    Share of the city's jobs
    16%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    182

    Hiring most here: Lucid Motors, Sun Communities, Lear

    Based on 182 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Southfield

  17. 17

    Dayton OH

    16%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    52
    Share of the city's jobs
    16%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    321

    Hiring most here: University of Dayton, Modern Technology Solutions, Odyssey Systems Consulting

    Based on 321 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Dayton

  18. 18

    Akron OH

    16%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    33
    Share of the city's jobs
    16%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    206

    Hiring most here: FirstEnergy Akron, Babcock International Group PLC/ADR, Akron Childrens Hospital

    Based on 206 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Akron

  19. 19

    Mundelein IL

    16%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    29
    Share of the city's jobs
    16%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    184

    Hiring most here: Coda Search│Staffing

    Based on 184 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Mundelein

  20. 20

    Rosemont IL

    16%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    13
    Share of the city's jobs
    16%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    83

    Hiring most here: Reyes Holdings, US Foods, Regal Rexnord

    Based on 83 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Rosemont

  21. 21

    Schaumburg IL

    16%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    25
    Share of the city's jobs
    16%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    161

    Hiring most here: Motorola Solutions, Fictiv, Zurich

    Based on 161 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Schaumburg

  22. 22

    Fort Wayne IN

    15%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    32
    Share of the city's jobs
    15%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    208

    Hiring most here: BAE Systems, RTX, L3HARRIS Technologies

    Based on 208 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Fort Wayne

  23. 23

    Cincinnati OH

    15%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    153
    Share of the city's jobs
    15%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    1,002

    Hiring most here: Medpace Holdings, Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center, Procter & Gamble

    Based on 1,002 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Cincinnati

  24. 24

    Madison WI

    15%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    56
    Share of the city's jobs
    15%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    367

    Hiring most here: Universities of Wisconsin [UW_Madison], Creative Financial Staffing, Catalent Pharma Solutions

    Based on 367 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Madison

  25. 25

    Indianapolis IN

    15%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    148
    Share of the city's jobs
    15%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    997

    Hiring most here: Eli Lilly and Company, State of Indiana, Masco

    Based on 997 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Indianapolis

Full ranking

All 39 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1Rolling Meadows IL26%193
2Jeffersonville IN25%92
3Green Bay WI22%99
4Appleton WI22%123
5Toledo OH22%128
6Evansville IN21%87
7Peoria IL20%112
8Oak Brook IL19%93
9Downers Grove IL19%104
10Mason OH19%105
11Cleveland OH17%663
12Grand Rapids MI17%329
13Naperville IL17%154
14Rockford IL17%107
15Aurora IL17%84
16Southfield MI16%182
17Dayton OH16%321
18Akron OH16%206
19Mundelein IL16%184
20Rosemont IL16%83
21Schaumburg IL16%161
22Fort Wayne IN15%208
23Cincinnati OH15%1,002
24Madison WI15%367
25Indianapolis IN15%997
26Carmel IN15%108
27Columbus OH15%1,265
28Springfield IL14%187
29Milwaukee WI14%644
30Chicago IL14%4,922
31Troy MI14%176
32Minneapolis MN14%887
33St. Paul MN13%144
34Rochester MN13%138
35Detroit MI13%489
36Lansing MI12%159
37Eden Prairie MN11%218
38Bloomington MN9%141
39Ann Arbor MI8%269

How this ranking works

A city's score is the share of its open professional roles whose occupation typically needs less than a bachelor's degree: an associate degree, a postsecondary certificate, some college, a high school diploma or no formal credential (Bureau of Labor Statistics).

A posting does not state a degree. Each is matched to its standard occupation, and the education shown is what the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists as typical for entering that occupation. Some employers ask for more or less, and about one posting in a hundred has an occupation we could not match, which is left out. Only cities with at least 12 such jobs and 80 matched jobs are ranked, and a city where one employer posts at least half the openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score. Our board is professional roles, so these are a small share everywhere.

Sample bar: cities with fewer than 80 openings are not ranked.

Sources: NextChapter job data: open professional roles, matched to standard occupation (SOC) codes; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025-35: typical entry-level education and projected employment change by occupation. Data as of November 2026.

Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.

Questions

Which city ranks first: cities where the biggest share of jobs do not need a four-year degree in the great lakes?
Rolling Meadows leads the Great Lakes: 26% of its jobs are in occupations that do not typically need a four-year degree, against 14% across all cities in our data.
How many cities are ranked?
39 cities have at least 80 jobs matched to an occupation, so the list has 39 entries.
How is the ranking calculated?
A city's score is the share of its open professional roles whose occupation typically needs less than a bachelor's degree: an associate degree, a postsecondary certificate, some college, a high school diploma or no formal credential (Bureau of Labor Statistics). A posting does not state a degree. Each is matched to its standard occupation, and the education shown is what the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists as typical for entering that occupation. Some employers ask for more or less, and about one posting in a hundred has an occupation we could not match, which is left out. Only cities with at least 12 such jobs and 80 matched jobs are ranked, and a city where one employer posts at least half the openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score. Our board is professional roles, so these are a small share everywhere.
How often is it updated?
Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.

More rankings

Cite this ranking

NextChapter, “Cities where the biggest share of jobs do not need a four-year degree in the Great Lakes,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/cities-where-the-most-jobs-do-not-need-a-four-year-degree-in-the-great-lakes

Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/cities-where-the-most-jobs-do-not-need-a-four-year-degree-in-the-great-lakes">Cities where the biggest share of jobs do not need a four-year degree in the Great Lakes (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>

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