Top Michigan Colleges

Learn About 13 of the Best Colleges and Universities in Michigan

Michigan offers many excellent options for higher education. From large public universities to private liberal arts colleges, prospective students will likely find something that speaks to their passions and personalities. The 13 top Michigan colleges listed below vary so much in size and type of school that I have simply listed them alphabetically rather than force them into any sort of artificial ranking. The schools were chosen based on a variety of factors such as academic reputation, curricular innovations, first-year retention rates, graduation rates, selectivity, financial aid and student engagement.

Compare Top Michigan Colleges: ACT Scores | SAT Scores

Albion College

Albion College Observatory
Albion College Observatory. kennethaw88 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0
  • Location: Albion, Michigan
  • Enrollment: 1,533 (all undergraduate)
  • Type of Institution: private liberal art college with ties to the United Methodist Church
  • Distinctions: chapter of  Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; over 100 student organizations; good financial aid
  • For acceptance rate, SAT/ACT scores, costs and other information, visit the Albion College profile

Alma College

Oscar E. Remick Heritage Center at Alma College
Oscar E. Remick Heritage Center at Alma College.

Santosdo / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

  • Location: Alma, Michigan
  • Enrollment: 1,433 (all undergraduate)
  • Type of Institution: private liberal arts college with ties to the Presbyterian Church
  • Distinctions: 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 19; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; rich Scottish heritage
  • For acceptance rate, SAT/ACT scores, costs and other information, visit the Alma College profile

Andrews University

Andrews University
Andrews University.

FotoGuy 49057 / Flickr /  CC BY 2.0

  • Location: Berrien Springs, Michigan
  • Enrollment: 3,407 (1,702 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: small private university affiliated with the Seventh-Day Adventist Church
  • Distinctions: large 1,600-acre tree-filled campus; 10 to 1 student / faculty ratio; diverse and international student population; 130 programs of study
  • For acceptance rate, SAT/ACT scores, costs and other information, visit the Andrews University profile

Calvin College

Calvin College
Calvin College.

Gpwitteveen / Wikimedia Commons /  CC BY-SA 3.0

  • Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
  • Enrollment: 3,732 (3,625 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: private liberal arts college affiliated with the Reformed Christian Church
  • Distinctions: 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio; 90-acre ecological preserve on campus; wide range of academic offerings
  • For acceptance rate, SAT/ACT scores, costs and other information, visit the Calvin College profile

Grand Valley State University

Alumni House at Grand Valley State University
Alumni House at Grand Valley State University.

 Demhem / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

  • Location: Allendale, Michigan
  • Enrollment: 24,677 (21,680 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: public university
  • Distinctions: strong school of business; interdisciplinary living-learning Honors College; identified as an "up-and-coming" college; large 1,280-acre campus
  • For acceptance rate, SAT/ACT scores, costs and other information, visit the Grand Valley State University profile

Hope College

Hope College
Hope College.

Leo Herzog / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0

  • Location: Holland, Michigan
  • Enrollment: 3,149 (all undergraduate)
  • Type of Institution: private liberal arts college affiliated with the Reformed Church in America
  • Distinctions: 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; distinguished in Loren Pope's College's That Change Lives; located five miles from Lake Michigan
  • For acceptance rate, SAT/ACT scores, costs and other information, visit the Hope College profile

Kalamazoo College

Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College. AaronEndre / Wikimedia Commons
  • Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan
  • Enrollment: 1,467 (all undergraduate)
  • Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
  • Distinctions: featured in Loren Pope's Colleges That Change Lives; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; strong student engagement through internships, service-learning and study abroad; located blocks from Western Michigan University
  • For acceptance rate, SAT/ACT scores, costs and other information, visit the Kalamazoo College profile

Kettering University

Kettering University Mott Center
Kettering University Mott Center.

 Bryan Duggan / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

  • Location: Flint, Michigan
  • Enrollment: 2,315 (1,880 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: private engineering school with an undergraduate focus
  • Distinctions: highly-ranked mechanical engineering program; strong co-op program that gives all undergraduates hands-on professional experience; high job placement rate
  • For acceptance rate, SAT/ACT scores, costs and other information, visit Kettering University profile

Michigan State University

Michigan State University - Linton Hall
Michigan State University - Linton Hall. Justin Rumao / Flickr
  • Location: East Lansing, Michigan
  • Enrollment: 50,351 (39,423 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: large public research university
  • Distinctions: chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; membership in the Association of American Universities for strong research programs; member of the NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference
  • For acceptance rate, SAT/ACT scores, costs and other information, visit the Michigan State University profile

Michigan Technological University

Michigan Technological University
Michigan Technological University. emperley3 / Flickr
  • Location: Houghton, Michigan
  • Enrollment: 7,172 (5,797 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: public engineering and technological school
  • Distinctions: strong engineering programs; excellent educational value; good location for students interested in outdoor recreation; 13 to 1 student / faculty ratio
  • For acceptance rate, SAT/ACT scores, costs and other information, visit the Michigan Tech profile

University of Detroit Mercy

University of Detroit Mercy
University of Detroit Mercy.

Pfretz13 / Wikimedia Commons

 

  • Location: Detroit, Michigan
  • Enrollment: 5,111 (2,880 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: private Catholic university
  • Distinctions: 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 20; student-centered approach to education; strong nursing program; member of the NCAA Division I Horizon League
  • For acceptance rate, SAT/ACT scores, costs and other information, visit the University of Detroit Mercy profile

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

 jweise / iStock / Getty Images

  • Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
  • Enrollment: 46,716 (30,318 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: large public research university
  • Distinctions: one of the top public universities in the country; membership in the Association of American Universities for strong research programs; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; member of the Big Ten Conference
  • For acceptance rate, SAT/ACT scores, costs and other information, visit University of Michigan profile

University of Michigan at Dearborn

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters at the University of Michigan, Dearborn
College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters at the University of Michigan, Dearborn.

Michigan Charms / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

 

  • Location: Dearborn, Michigan
  • Enrollment: 9,460 (7,177 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: regional public university (no housing facilities)
  • Distinctions: top-rated regional university; strong professional programs that take advantage of the urban location; 70-acre natural area and Henry Ford Estate on campus
  • For acceptance rate, SAT/ACT scores, costs and other information, visit University of Michigan at Dearborn profile

More Top Colleges and Universities

Midwest Region
Midwest Region.

If you want to expand your college search beyond Michigan, be sure to check out the top 30 colleges and universities in the Midwest.

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Grove, Allen. "Top Michigan Colleges." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/top-michigan-colleges-788317. Grove, Allen. (2023, April 5). Top Michigan Colleges. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/top-michigan-colleges-788317 Grove, Allen. "Top Michigan Colleges." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/top-michigan-colleges-788317 (accessed April 24, 2024).