Bright and bold? No, try cold and old. That’s how some MBAs view the Midwest, the land of manufacturing, consumer goods, and agriculture. Despite treasuring their Midwest roots, the region has a habit of writing its biggest checks to east coast MBAs. Here, Wharton tops the list, boasting average pay of $138,368, including a $225,000 payday to one student. Harvard, MIT Sloan, and Dartmouth Tuck also rank among the top five for MBA average pay. That isn’t to say top Midwest MBAs are racing to the coast to claim those unicorn paydays. Booth grads make $128,547 staying put on average, up $5,000 over 2015. That doesn’t count a $215,000 base negotiated by one plucky Booth grad. While Kellogg grads fell $1,200 short of their cross-town rivals on average, their pay rose over $7,000 in the past year, capped by a $250,000 haul by one student. Michigan Ross is no slouch either, with base pay growing from $118,486 to $124,358 in the past year.