<p>What kind of academic experience do you want? There are lot of excellent midwestern LACs that offer generous financial aid. There are state schools that will offer you free or close to free tuition. There are private univs that may provide generous aid. Most good schools (top 100) have reputable psych departments. At the large schools, you are likely to be one of hundreds of psych majors, so standing out and getting faculty attention and good research assignments will require sharper elbows. At a LAC, you may have fewer classes to choose from, fewer research opportunities and fewer types of psychology to specialize in, but an easier time finding faculty mentors. There are urban schools that will offer great internship opportunities and small college towns that offer a tight knit community. There are trade-offs here, as with most things.</p>
<p>For midwestern LACs, take a look at Carleton, Grinnell, Macalester and Oberlin.</p>