PlainCollege

State profile · 169 colleges · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Colleges in Michigan

Colleges in Michigan from PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, compared on acceptance, cost, and 10-year former-student earnings.

169
Colleges
$39,208
Avg 10-yr earnings (145 of 169)
77.4%
Avg acceptance

Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

Michigan · the picture in one line

Michigan's 145 of 169 colleges that report earnings average $39,208 in 10-year former-student earnings - 41st highest of 56 states and territories that report.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

#41
of 56 states by avg former-student earnings
$94,823
top earnings - Kettering University
77.4%
avg acceptance (46 reporting)
47 / 51 / 71
public / nonprofit / for-profit

Best earnings-to-cost value among Michigan colleges with reported figures: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

Michigan · enrollment ≠ earnings

In Michigan, Michigan State University leads by undergraduate enrollment (40,922 students, #1 of 132) but ranks #8 of 132 on 10-year median earnings ($67,253), while Kettering University tops earnings at $94,823 (#1 of 132) with 1,205 students (#52 of 132). The biggest campus is not always the highest-paying outcome.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

40,922
Michigan State enrollment #1
$94,823
Kettering University earnings #1
#1
Enrollment rank of earnings leader
#8
Earnings rank of enrollment leader

Enrollment is IPEDS fall headcount; earnings are Scorecard 10-year medians for federally aided former students. Different populations, not one ROI ratio.

Enrollment of Michigan's #1 campuses by size vs earnings

Same unit (undergraduate students) for both named leaders.

students

What this shows Michigan State University is largest by enrollment; Kettering University leads on 10-year earnings at $94,823.

Source IPEDS via College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

This page aggregates colleges and universities in Michigan returned by PlainCollege's U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard snapshot. It combines IPEDS-derived institutional fields with Treasury-derived earnings published for federal-aid recipients. Coverage includes public flagships, regional comprehensives, community and technical colleges, private nonprofit institutions, and for-profit schools.

The state-aggregate statistics below include all reporting institutions in Michigan as a single denominator, community colleges, public universities, private nonprofits, and for-profit institutions are pooled. State averages are therefore useful for high-level framing (in-state tuition is X, average admission rate is Y, average earnings are Z) but should not be read as representative of any specific sector or institution. Drill into individual school profiles for the full picture: admissions, costs (sticker and net), federal-aid usage, completion, retention, demographics, and earnings outcomes 6 and 10 years after enrollment.

The Scorecard data used here was retrieved in March–July 2026. That retrieval window is not the measurement year: tuition and enrollment fields retain their source reporting periods, while 10-year institution earnings describe federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, a decade after entry.

Largest Colleges in Michigan by Enrollment

IPEDS Fall enrollment via College Scorecard.

students

What this shows Enrollment size reflects institutional scale, not quality or on-campus experience - a large school here can still be a small, selective program relative to its state peers.

Source IPEDS As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Highest Earnings, 10-Year Median: Michigan

U.S. Treasury earnings linkage via College Scorecard.

USD

What this shows Former-student earnings vary by program mix and local labor market as much as by the school itself; this comparison does not isolate a school's causal effect.

Source College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

The ROI lens

Michigan colleges: earnings vs. cost

Michigan colleges, positioned by earnings vs net price Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 14 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. Michigan colleges, positioned by earnings vs net price COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $30K $88K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $561 $21K Avg Net Price ($) Michigan State University: $67K earn · $20K net · 81% grad Michigan State Uni… University of Michigan-Ann Arbor: $84K earn · $13K net · 93% grad University of Mich… Grand Valley State University: $56K earn · $16K net · 68% grad Grand Valley State… Wayne State University: $53K earn · $13K net · 58% grad Wayne State Univer… Macomb Community College: $42K earn · $2K net · 17% grad Macomb Community C… Oakland Community College: $37K earn · $6K net · 19% grad Oakland Community … Western Michigan University: $54K earn · $15K net · 58% grad Oakland University: $59K earn · $9K net · 57% grad Grand Rapids Community College: $38K earn · $9K net · 20% grad Eastern Michigan University: $52K earn · $15K net · 46% grad Central Michigan University: $56K earn · $18K net · 60% grad Henry Ford College: $35K earn · $1K net · 14% grad Lansing Community College: $39K earn · $5K net · 24% grad Ferris State University: $55K earn · $9K net · 47% grad Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

National context

How Michigan ranks among the states

Michigan's average 10-year earnings of $39,208 place it in the 27th percentile among all 56 states and territories tracked by the College Scorecard.

Michigan: average former-student earnings vs. every state

State-average 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$39,208 27th percentile higher than 27% of 56 states & territories

$24,000–$28,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Below this entry. $28,000–$32,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $32,000–$36,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Below this entry. $36,000–$40,000: 12 states & territories (21%). This entry sits in this band. $40,000–$44,000: 14 states & territories (25%). Above this entry. $44,000–$48,000: 10 states & territories (18%). Above this entry. $48,000–$52,000: 7 states & territories (13%). Above this entry. $52,000–$56,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Above this entry. $56,000–$60,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Above this entry. MI $24,000 $60,000 every state, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $4K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Michigan vs. every state, at a glance
EarningsAffordabilityOptionsAccess

Each axis is this state's percentile among all states & territories on that metric (Earnings/Affordability/Options/Access) -- not a composite grade, just four independent comparisons in one shape.

School type matters

How school type shapes earnings in Michigan

Average 10-year former-student earnings by institution type. Program mix, selectivity, student background, and local labor markets all contribute to the observed gaps, so read this beside each school's own figures.

Average former-student earnings by school type - Michigan

Mean of per-school 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

avg earnings

What this shows Keeping schools within one state reduces some regional variation, but this descriptive comparison does not control for program mix, selection, or student background.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
169
Total Schools
$18,073
Avg In-State Tuition (96 of 169)
77.4%
Avg Acceptance Rate (46 of 169)
$39,208
Avg Median Earnings (145 of 169)
47 Public 51 Private NP 71 For-Profit
Ownership Breakdown

What the IPEDS Data Shows for Colleges in Michigan

PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset contains 169 postsecondary institutions in Michigan. The ownership mix is 47 public institutions, 51 private nonprofits, and 71 private for-profit schools. Public institutions often report lower in-state tuition because state appropriations subsidize the published price, while private nonprofits may show higher sticker prices partly offset by institutional aid.

Cost and selectivity signals vary widely even within a single state. The average in-state tuition among the 96 of 169 Michigan institutions that report one is $18,073, and the average admission rate among the 46 that report one sits at 77.4%. Admission rates from IPEDS exclude open-enrollment institutions, which is why community colleges and many for-profits show as unreported rather than at 100 percent. Looking at the table, the acceptance-rate column is blank for schools that don’t screen applicants, a meaningful distinction when evaluating selectivity alongside earnings.

Institution-level earnings connect cost to one observed outcome. Among the 145 of 169 Michigan colleges that report 10-year median earnings, federally aided former students show a mean of $39,208, based on Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard. Because earnings depend heavily on field of study, student background, and local labor markets, state-level averages should be read alongside each school’s program mix. The table sorts institutions with reported IPEDS enrollment so users can compare acceptance rates, enrollment scale, and median earnings side by side.

All Schools in Michigan

School Name City Type Enrollment Acceptance Rate 10yr Earnings
Michigan State University East Lansing Public 40,922 84.8% $67,253
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor Public 34,177 15.6% $83,648
Grand Valley State University Allendale Public 18,854 83.0% $56,118
Wayne State University Detroit Public 15,587 81.2% $53,493
Macomb Community College Warren Public 13,876 - $41,596
Oakland Community College Auburn Hills Public 12,748 - $37,395
Western Michigan University Kalamazoo Public 12,568 84.6% $53,562
Oakland University Rochester Hills Public 12,351 87.8% $58,612
Grand Rapids Community College Grand Rapids Public 10,698 - $38,377
Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti Public 10,055 79.6% $51,793
Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant Public 10,035 89.8% $55,874
Henry Ford College Dearborn Public 8,643 - $34,795
Lansing Community College Lansing Public 8,207 - $39,206
Ferris State University Big Rapids Public 8,106 91.4% $54,735
Washtenaw Community College Ann Arbor Public 7,816 - $39,449
Schoolcraft Community College District Livonia Public 7,511 - $42,722
Wayne County Community College District Detroit Public 7,423 - $29,079
Delta College University Center Public 6,573 - $37,781
Northern Michigan University Marquette Public 6,556 84.0% $47,107
Saginaw Valley State University University Center Public 5,989 72.1% $51,955
Michigan Technological University Houghton Public 5,955 92.4% $78,198
University of Michigan-Dearborn Dearborn Public 5,952 55.6% $59,649
Mott Community College Flint Public 5,251 - $32,538
Kalamazoo Valley Community College Kalamazoo Public 4,997 - $38,618
University of Michigan-Flint Flint Public 4,411 70.5% $53,230
Jackson College Jackson Public 3,422 - $36,898
Hope College Holland Private NP 3,288 79.2% $58,427
Calvin University Grand Rapids Private NP 3,193 70.9% $58,375
Davenport University Grand Rapids Private NP 3,134 97.8% $45,099
Baker College Owosso Private NP 3,026 81.9% $35,833
Kellogg Community College Battle Creek Public 2,971 - $38,329
Northwestern Michigan College Traverse City Public 2,813 - $38,167
Muskegon Community College Muskegon Public 2,760 - $36,549
University of Detroit Mercy Detroit Private NP 2,438 75.4% $71,030
St Clair County Community College Port Huron Public 2,138 - $40,177
Lake Michigan College Benton Harbor Public 2,105 - $34,466
Mid Michigan College Harrison Public 2,098 - $37,319
Northwood University Midland Private NP 1,974 64.5% $63,075
Lawrence Technological University Southfield Private NP 1,668 55.9% $69,151
Madonna University Livonia Private NP 1,632 63.4% $59,058
Adrian College Adrian Private NP 1,604 72.5% $55,504
Hillsdale College Hillsdale Private NP 1,573 20.7% -
Siena Heights University Adrian Private NP 1,495 68.9% $57,529
Monroe County Community College Monroe Public 1,435 - $41,646
Southwestern Michigan College Dowagiac Public 1,431 - $37,303
Universal Technical Institute-Canton Canton For-Profit 1,417 - $62,575
Lake Superior State University Sault Ste Marie Public 1,325 - $49,045
Albion College Albion Private NP 1,300 80.7% $58,799
Cornerstone University Grand Rapids Private NP 1,298 77.8% $47,314
College for Creative Studies Detroit Private NP 1,230 91.9% $44,860
Andrews University Berrien Springs Private NP 1,224 81.8% $53,187
Bay de Noc Community College Escanaba Public 1,223 - $35,090
Kettering University Flint Private NP 1,205 78.7% $94,823
Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo Private NP 1,149 75.3% $65,590
Alma College Alma Private NP 1,148 57.0% $54,742
Montcalm Community College Sidney Public 1,122 - $35,499
Aquinas College Grand Rapids Private NP 1,083 89.9% $49,584
Kirtland Community College Grayling Public 1,023 - $35,831
Spring Arbor University Spring Arbor Private NP 1,010 51.5% $51,732
North Central Michigan College Petoskey Public 942 - $36,594
The University of Olivet Olivet Private NP 892 83.3% $47,907
Rochester Christian University Rochester Hills Private NP 792 97.7% $48,707
West Shore Community College Scottville Public 782 - $36,115
Douglas J Aveda Institute East Lansing For-Profit 777 - $26,849
Northwestern Technological Institute Southfield For-Profit 746 - $41,237
Cleary University Howell Private NP 738 67.5% $54,186
Alpena Community College Alpena Public 732 - $36,442
Grace Christian University Wyoming Private NP 716 99.2% $41,663
Concordia University Ann Arbor Ann Arbor Private NP 702 69.3% $56,075
Bay Mills Community College Brimley Public 662 - $30,048
Dorsey College Madison Heights For-Profit 643 - $29,392
Chamberlain University-Michigan Troy For-Profit 629 85.7% $92,405
Glen Oaks Community College Centreville Public 600 - $37,540
Arizona College of Nursing-Southfield Southfield For-Profit 594 100.0% $34,657
Gogebic Community College Ironwood Public 511 - $40,950
Walsh College Troy Private NP 445 - $72,081
Dorsey College-Roseville Roseville For-Profit 437 - $29,392
Dorsey College-Dearborn Detroit For-Profit 430 - $29,392
Ross College-Grand Rapids North Grand Rapids For-Profit 387 - $30,072
Irene's Myomassology Institute Southfield For-Profit 285 - $26,551
Twin City Beauty College Saint Joseph For-Profit 274 - $23,043
L'esprit Academy Canton For-Profit 266 - $22,440
Empire Beauty School-Michigan Grand Rapids For-Profit 259 - $22,377
Ross Medical Education Center-Warren Warren For-Profit 237 - $30,481
Michigan College of Beauty-Troy Troy For-Profit 230 - $22,058
David Pressley School of Cosmetology Royal Oak For-Profit 225 - $22,973
Dorsey College-Woodhaven Woodhaven For-Profit 223 - $29,392
Great Lakes Christian College Lansing Private NP 197 - $31,053
Elevate Salon Institute Royal Oak For-Profit 197 - $16,853
Dorsey College-Wayne Wayne For-Profit 196 - $29,392
Dorsey College-Saginaw Saginaw For-Profit 183 - $29,392
Sacred Heart Major Seminary Detroit Private NP 178 100.0% $49,295
Dorsey School of Beauty Taylor For-Profit 164 - $13,256
Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College Mount Pleasant Public 164 - -
Kuyper College Grand Rapids Private NP 145 69.1% $41,066
Abcott Institute Southfield For-Profit 142 - $33,151
Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College LAnse Public 139 - $22,340
Paul Mitchell the School-Michigan Sterling Heights For-Profit 136 - $26,897
Ross Medical Education Center-Lansing Lansing For-Profit 135 - $30,072
Ross Medical Education Center-Kentwood Kentwood For-Profit 134 - $30,072
DSDT Detroit For-Profit 132 - -
Ross Medical Education Center-Roosevelt Park Roosevelt Park For-Profit 130 - $30,060
Detroit Business Institute-Downriver Detroit For-Profit 124 100.0% $26,702
Ross Medical Education Center-Portage Portage For-Profit 124 - $30,060
Michigan Career and Technical Institute Plainwell Public 118 - $29,376
Ross Medical Education Center-Flint Flint For-Profit 116 - $30,060
Paul Mitchell the School-Farmington Hills Farmington Hills For-Profit 99 - -
Bayshire Academy of Beauty Craft Inc Bay City For-Profit 97 - $24,471
Nuvo College of Cosmetology Norton Shores For-Profit 96 - $18,159
Carnegie Institute Troy For-Profit 93 - $38,244
Ross Medical Education Center-Canton Canton For-Profit 92 - $30,060
P&A Scholars Beauty School Detroit For-Profit 90 - $20,249
Paul Mitchell the School-Grand Rapids Kentwood For-Profit 86 - -
Ross Medical Education Center-Saginaw Saginaw For-Profit 84 - $30,060
The Salon Professional Academy of Holland Holland For-Profit 82 - -
Dorsey College-Grand Rapids Grand Rapids For-Profit 82 - $29,392
Yeshiva Gedolah of Greater Detroit Oak Park Private NP 75 90.0% -
Ross Medical Education Center-Taylor Taylor For-Profit 75 - $30,481
Paul Mitchell the School-Great Lakes Port Huron For-Profit 75 - $16,715
Protege Academy East Lansing For-Profit 72 - $19,499
Michigan College of Beauty-Monroe Monroe For-Profit 70 - $22,766
Mosley School of Cosmetology Kentwood For-Profit 62 - -
Metro Detroit Barber College Detroit Private NP 59 - -
Ross Medical Education Center-Midland Midland For-Profit 57 - $29,898
Taylor Andrews Academy of Hair Design-Hair Lab Detroit Barber School Southgate For-Profit 57 - $36,048
Ross Medical Education Center-Davison Davison For-Profit 53 - $29,898
Motion Picture Institute Troy For-Profit 53 89.7% -
Ross Medical Education Center-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor For-Profit 51 - $29,898
French Academy of Cosmetology Spring Lake For-Profit 51 - $22,797
M J Murphy Beauty College of Mount Pleasant Mount Pleasant For-Profit 50 - $20,720
Ross Medical Education Center-Battle Creek Battle Creek For-Profit 50 - $30,060
The Salon Professional Academy-Battle Creek Battle Creek For-Profit 49 - $21,504
Marketti Academy of Cosmetology Waterford For-Profit 45 - $14,345
Protege Academy Mt. Pleasant For-Profit 44 - $19,499
Cadillac Institute of Cosmetology Cadillac For-Profit 43 - $16,514
Brighton Institute of Cosmetology Brighton For-Profit 43 - -
Ross Medical Education Center-Brighton Brighton For-Profit 39 - $29,898
Creative Hair School of Cosmetology Flint For-Profit 38 - -
Ross Medical Education Center-Port Huron Port Huron For-Profit 38 - $30,060
Port Huron Cosmetology College Waterford For-Profit 37 - $22,980
School of Missionary Aviation Technology Ionia Private NP 36 - -
Ross Medical Education Center-New Baltimore New Baltimore For-Profit 33 - $30,481
Dymond Designs Beauty School Detroit For-Profit 28 - -
Hillsdale Beauty College Hillsdale For-Profit 26 - $17,793
Marine Trades Institute Cedarville Private NP 26 - -
Sharp's Academy of Hairstyling Grand Blanc For-Profit 16 - $16,266
Southwest Michigan Beauty School Sturgis For-Profit 14 - -
Ecumenical Theological Seminary Detroit Private NP 11 - -
Lakewood School of Therapeutic Massage Port Huron For-Profit 10 - $16,682
Calvin Theological Seminary Grand Rapids Private NP - - -
Michigan School of Psychology Farmington Hills Private NP - - -
Cranbrook Academy of Art Bloomfield Hills Private NP - - -
Thomas M Cooley Law School Lansing Private NP - - $63,450
Western Theological Seminary Holland Private NP - - -
Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine Kalamazoo Private NP - - -
Northpoint College Wyoming Private NP - - -
Charm Beauty School Dearborn Heights For-Profit - - -
Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School--Michigan Plymouth Private NP - - $45,399
Baker College of Cadillac Cadillac Private NP - - $35,833
Baker College of Jackson Jackson Private NP - - $35,833
Baker College of Muskegon Muskegon Private NP - - $35,833
Baker College - Royal Oak Campus Royal Oak Private NP - - $35,833
Calvin University - Handlon Campus Ionia Private NP - - $58,375
Davenport University-Warren Location Warren Private NP - - $45,099
Davenport University-Kalamazoo Location Kalamazoo Private NP - - $45,099
Davenport University-Lansing Location Lansing Private NP - - $45,099
Davenport University-Midland Location Midland Private NP - - $45,099
Elevate Salon Institute Utica For-Profit - - $16,853
L'esprit Academy - Southfield Southfield For-Profit - - $22,440

Featured Colleges in Michigan

Quick picks from this state – compare two schools side by side

Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
40,922 students
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI
34,177 students
Grand Valley State University
Allendale, MI
18,854 students
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI
15,587 students
Macomb Community College
Warren, MI
13,876 students
Compare Michigan State University vs University of Michigan-Ann Arbor →

Explore more Michigan data

Highest-earning colleges → Best value colleges → ROI calculator → Compare states →

Guides & Resources

Is College Worth It?

A data-driven answer using earnings and cost data.

How to Compare Colleges

A framework for picking schools with data, not rankings alone.

Financial Aid & Net Price

How net price differs from sticker price and financial aid.

Understanding College Earnings Data

How Scorecard earnings figures are measured and their limits.

About This Data

According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, PlainCollege's current snapshots were retrieved in March–July 2026. This state's institution-level figures come from the July retrieval, including IPEDS-derived characteristics. Earnings represent median income 10 years after enrollment for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, using U.S. Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

What this means for Michigan applicants

  • Michigan has 169 colleges in PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, spanning community colleges, public flagships, and private institutions.
  • Average reported admission rate across Michigan colleges is 77.4% - individual schools vary widely, check each profile for its own rate.
  • State-level averages pool every reporting institution together; run a specific school's numbers before assuming the state figure applies to it.Use the ROI calculator

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or educational advice. State-level averages pool every reporting institution and do not predict any individual school's outcome.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. State-level rollups are computed directly from College Scorecard and IPEDS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.