Michigan has 174 colleges including 73 four-year colleges, 42 community colleges, and 59 trade schools. By control type, 48 schools are public and 126 schools are private. 491,323 students enrolled in Michigan colleges according to IPEDS.

For 4-year colleges, commonly said to as colleges, there are 73 schools are active in Michigan (20 public and 53 private). 343,663 students enrolled in the schools, by gender, 152,649 men and 191,014 women students.

These colleges have an average acceptance rate of 77.39% and an average SAT score of 1,141. The average tuition & fees for in-state students is $13,733 and for out-of-state students is $23,334. The average enrollment is about 4,708 students per college. On average, each college offers about 110 programs.

16 Prominent Michigan Colleges

The following table lists major colleges in Michigan that have high enrollment, good academic reputation, and recognized by Michigan residents. It includes 11 public institutions and 5 private institutions.

Michigan Major Colleges by Region
RegionProminent Institutions
Southeast Michigan / DetroitUniversity of Michigan-Ann Arbor (Ann Arbor), Wayne State University (Detroit), University of Detroit Mercy (Detroit)
West Michigan / Grand RapidsGrand Valley State University (Allendale), Calvin University (Grand Rapids), Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo)
Mid-Michigan / LansingMichigan State University (East Lansing)
Northern MichiganNorthern Michigan University (Marquette), Michigan Technological University (Houghton)

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, located in Ann Arbor, is generally considered the flagship institution in Michigan. It offers wide range of programs in both undergraduate and graduate levels, including 280 graduate programs and 19 online programs. Its total enrollment is approximately 52,855 including 1,479 online students.

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor has the highest enrollment among these colleges, with a student population of 52,855 students. It offers the largest number of programs of 481.

Of the major colleges in Michigan, 2 law schools and 4 medical schools are affiliated with these colleges. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and Wayne State University have both a law school and a medical school. You can check the law schools and medical schools in the table below.

Notable public institutions

Prominent private institutions

  • Kettering University: Offering offering 28 programs; $46,425 tuition & fees; 78.67% acceptance rate; and 1,466 student population.
  • Kalamazoo College: Offering offering 29 programs; $60,900 tuition & fees; 75.32% acceptance rate; and 1,166 student population.
  • Hope College: Offering offering 65 programs; $39,484 tuition & fees; 79.24% acceptance rate; and 3,395 student population.
Comparison of Michigan Major Colleges
NameGraduate ProgramsDistance LearningTuition & FeesAdm. RateSAT ScoreEnrollOffered ProgramsLaw SchoolMedical School
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor
YesYes$63,08115.64%146052,855481VisitVisit
Michigan State University
East Lansing
YesYes$44,85084.80%126052,089448Visit
Wayne State University
Detroit
YesYes$34,65081.16%115023,803332VisitVisit
Grand Valley State University
Allendale
YesYes$21,89483.02%106022,011185
Kettering University
Flint
YesYes$46,42578.67%12401,46628
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant
YesYes$15,48089.82%108014,488295Visit
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti
YesYes$16,99079.64%106012,631392
Ferris State University
Big Rapids
YesYes$14,77891.39%10109,959253
Michigan Technological University
Houghton
YesYes$44,80792.43%12407,403179
Northern Michigan University
Marquette
YesYes$19,94484.02%7,409207
Saginaw Valley State University
University Center
YesYes$30,45072.07%10506,822119
University of Michigan-Flint
Flint
YesYes$27,79070.46%11006,52995
Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo
NoNo$60,90075.32%12901,16629
Hope College
Holland
NoYes$39,48479.24%12153,39565
Calvin University
Grand Rapids
YesYes$39,35070.91%12203,681122
Albion College
Albion
NoYes$56,95080.70%1,30875