Best Colleges in Michigan

UMich ranks at the top of our list of the best colleges in Michigan. The state's flagship public university, UMich offers high-quality degrees at an affordable price. And two-thirds of first-year students receive financial aid to cover costs. 

With over 280 degree programs across 14 schools and colleges, you'll have plenty of options when it comes time to choose your major. Thanks to its large student body of 50,000 students from around the world, the Ann Arbor campus offers an active social scene. The state's oldest and largest university is a great pick for colleges in Michigan.

More than 50,000 students attend Michigan State. The public university has a massive 5,200-acre campus just three miles from the state capital. You'll be able to choose from over 400 academic programs — or study abroad at one of its over 300 location options. 

Michigan State is also known for its Big Ten sports, historic architecture, and picturesque botanical gardens. Founded in 1855 as a land-grant university, Michigan State now aims to empower its community with educational opportunities.

Want to turn plastic waste into protein powder? Or test a nanosatellite? Michigan Tech students participate in cutting-edge research focused on sustainability and innovation.

A public institution in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Michigan Tech sits within miles of Lake Superior. You'll get 200+ inches of snow in the winter. If you're not into outdoor sports, visit the historic town of Houghton for music festivals and coffee shops. At Michigan Tech, you can get a high-tech education with a college-town feel.

The largest university in Detroit, Wayne State dates back to 1868, when it began as a medical college. Today, nearly 40% of Michigan's practicing physicians graduated from Wayne State's School of Medicine.

In addition to its health programs, the public university offers many other majors from its 200-acre urban campus. You'll choose from over 350 programs, many of which incorporate experiential learning. When you're not on campus, you can discover everything Detroit has to offer.

Michigan's largest Catholic university dates back to 1877. Today, over 5,000 students attend the private institution. At Detroit Mercy, you'll learn through experiential opportunities like co-ops. You can also choose one of 30 accelerated programs that offer a bachelor's and master's degree on a fast track.

Detroit Mercy reports that over 98% of students receive some form of financial aid. The private university awarded more than $50 million in students scholarships and grants last year.

From its 1,300-acre campus in Allendale, GVSU overlooks the scenic Grand River. Ravines cut through the tree-filled campus, which welcomes more than 18,000 undergrads. The student body represents 83 countries around the world. 

GVSU offers 100 undergraduate majors and 45 graduate degrees. The public university reports that 96% of students receive some form of financial aid, making the cost of college more affordable.

A mid-sized public university in the greater Detroit area, OU enrolls around 13,000 undergrads. It's also got a Division I athletics program, experiential learning opportunities, and flexible class schedules. Plus, you'll have more than 125 majors to choose from. 

Over a third of OU first-year students are first-generation college students. And OU makes it easy to understand the cost of college by not charging any fees on top of tuition.

CMU is a public research university located in Mount Pleasant. More than 24,000 students enroll in more than 200 programs at the university. You can major in business, education, healthcare, social science, STEM, or another field. 

You can join 300 student organizations, play intramural sports, or volunteer at CMU. Or, if you want the flexibility of distance learning, you can enroll through CMU Online, which offers dozens of online degrees.

Want a rural college experience? Then head to the village of Berrien Springs, Michigan. That's where Andrews University grants degrees as a private Adventist college. You'll join nearly 4,000 students on a campus that's 12 miles from Lake Michigan and 25 miles from South Bend, Indiana.

The university boasts a sprawling 2,400-acre campus that's designated as an arboretum. You can choose from over 90 undergraduate programs or more than 65 graduate programs at Andrews.

From its campus in Grand Rapids, Calvin University enrolls nearly 4,000 students. This private Christian college offers more than 100 majors and programs on its 400-acre campus. 

Calvin's goal is to help each student grow, collaborate, and build. And the university also offers a strong financial aid package for students with a high GPA. If you have a 3.8 GPA or higher, the school promises at least $21,000 per year in aid for up to four years.