Top Ranked Colleges: Universities | Public Universities | Liberal Arts Colleges | Engineering | Business | Women's | Most Selective
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.
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Albion College
Verybigfish86 / Wikimedia Commons
- Location: Albion, Michigan
- Enrollment: 1,860 (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, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Albion College profile
Alma College
Chelseyafoster / Wikimedia Commons
- Location: Alma, Michigan
- Enrollment: 1,382 (all undergraduate)
- Type of Institution: private liberal arts college with ties to the Presbyterian Church
- Distinctions: 13 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, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Alma College profile
Andrews University
james. / Flickr
- Location: Berrien Springs, Michigan
- Enrollment: 3,419 (1,889 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: small private university affiliated with the Seventh-Day Adventist Church
- Distinctions: large 1,600-acre tree-filled campus; 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio; diverse and international student population; 130 programs of study
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Andrews University profile
Calvin College
nyello8 / Flickr
- Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Enrollment: 4,171 (4,104 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private liberal arts college affiliated with the Reformed Christian Church
- Distinctions: 14 to 1 student / faculty ratio; 90-acre ecological preserve on campus; wide range of academic offerings
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Calvin College profile
Grand Valley State University
dailyinvention / Flickr
- Location: Allendale, Michigan
- Enrollment: 23,892 (20,416 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, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Grand Valley State University profile
Hope College
Daniel Morrison / Flickr
- Location: Holland, Michigan
- Enrollment: 3,238 (all undergraduate)
- Type of Institution: private liberal arts college affiliated with the Reformed Church in America
- Distinctions: 13 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, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Hope College profile
Kalamazoo College
AaronEndre / Wikimedia Commons
- Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan
- Enrollment: 1,389 (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, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Kalamazoo College profile
Kettering University
Bryan Duggan / Wikimedia Commons
- Location: Flint, Michigan
- Enrollment: 2,600 (2,134 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, test scores, costs and other information, visit Kettering University profile
Michigan State University
Aunt Owwee / Flickr
- Location: East Lansing, Michigan
- Enrollment: 46,045 (36,072 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, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Michigan State University profile
Michigan Technological University
emperley3 / Flickr
- Location: Houghton, Michigan
- Enrollment: 7,009 (6,025 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: public engineering and technological school
- Distinctions: strong engineering programs; excellent educational value; good location for students interested in outdoor recreation
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Michigan Tech profile
