Top Michigan Colleges and Universities

About this article
Michigan lies in the northern United States, in the Great Lakes Region. The state has several world class colleges and universities for higher learning, five of which are further described below.
View available schools

Top Five Schools in Michigan

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

The University of Michigan is a public school located in Ann Arbor, west of Detroit in central Michigan. Founded in 1817, UM is the oldest institution for higher learning in the state and is highly recognized for its commitment to research, particularly in the areas of science and medicine. It is ranked #25 on U.S. News and World Report's list of top American schools. There are currently 25,555 undergraduate students at UM who have the chance to study in a wide variety of disciplines. Other than excellent academics, many students and faculty enjoy watching some of the quality athletics-particularly football and basketball-that are available on campus.

Michigan State University

Located in East Lansing, Michigan, MSU was a pioneer land-grant institution; in fact, the university has stood as a model for other public institutions since its founding in 1855 under the Morrill Act. The university has a very large undergraduate population of 36,072 and is committed to excellence in instruction as well as research. Michigan State University is listed as a 'Public Ivy' for its superb research activities; however, many students still find the time to support the many dynamic athletic teams that represent the university. It is #71 on U.S. News and World Report's list of top American schools.

Michigan Technological University

Since its founding in 1885, Michigan Technological University, a public institution, has been recognized for its premier engineering education-in fact, 55% of the student body is enrolled in an engineering field. The campus is located in Houghton, Michigan, in the state's upper peninsula, and is a truly beautiful place for students to learn and socialize. The undergraduate enrollment of MTU is 6,378, which means that the institution can provide small class settings for optimum learning. U.S. News and World Report has repeatedly recognized MTU's students as having some of the nation's lowest student debt upon graduation and ranks it at #124 on its list of top schools in the nation.

Wayne State University

Wayne State University was founded in 1868 in the downtown Detroit area; and unlike many other universities that changed locations to outlying suburban areas, Wayne State continues to be found at its original midtown site. Further, it continues to reach out to the professional Detroit community by operating six different satellite campuses around the metro area. There are 20, 737 undergraduate students enrolled at Wayne State and studying in one of many different subject areas. WSU serves as a cultural center for Detroit, and even hosts the annual Detroit Festival of the Arts.

Central Michigan University

Located in the central Michigan city of Mt. Pleasant, Central Michigan University serves 19,834 undergraduate students. CMU was founded in 1892 as a place to train world-class teachers; it has since grown to offer more than 150 academic programs to students around the world. The university has also enjoyed national attention, receiving the ranking as the 10th most productive small research university. CMU also has the distinction of being the only university in the nation with an available degree in microscopy.

Popular Schools

  • Online Programs Available
    1. Grand Canyon University

    Program Options

    Doctorate
      • Ed.D in Teaching and Learning with an Emphasis in Adult Learning - Qualitative Research
      • Ed.D in Teaching and Learning with an Emphasis in Adult Learning - Quantitative Research
      • Doctor of Philosophy in General Psychology: Performance Psychology (Qualitative Research)
      • Doctor of Philosophy in General Psychology: Performance Psychology (Quantitative Research)
      • Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
      • Education Specialist in Teaching and Learning
    Master's
      • M.S. Psychology with an Emphasis in Gerontology
      • M.S. in Psychology with an Emphasis in Human Factors
      • MA in Curriculum and Instruction
      • MS in Psychology: General Psychology
      • M.A. in Communication with an Emphasis in Education
      • M.Ed. in Secondary Education with an Emphasis in Humanities (ITL)
    Bachelor's
      • BS in Psychology
      • B.S. in Psychology with an Emphasis in Performance and Sports Psychology
      • Bachelor of Arts in Communications with an Emphasis in Interpersonal Communication and Human Relationships
      • Bachelor: Business Admin
      • BA in Digital Film - Screenwriting
      • Bachelor: Accounting
  • Online Programs Available
    2. Bryant & Stratton College

    Program Options

    Bachelor's
      • BA - General Management
      • BBA Human Resources Management
      • BBA Medical Services Management
      • BS Human & Social Services
      • General Management (GM) - BBA
      • Health Services Administration - BS
    Associate's
      • Criminal Justice Studies - AAS
      • AS - Business
      • AS - Criminal Justice
      • AS - Accounting
      • AS - Human Resources Specialist
      • AS - IT Networking
    Certificate
      • Business Assistant Diploma
      • Criminal Justice and Security Services Diploma
      • Business - AAS
      • Business Assistant - Diploma
      • Criminal Justice and Security Svcs. - Diploma
      • Accounting Assistant Diploma
  • Online Programs Available
    3. Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology

    Program Options

    Master's
      • Masters in Psychology
      • Masters in Dispute Resolution
      • Masters in Legal Studies
      • Masters in Human Resources
      • Masters in Business Administration
      • Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis
  • Online Programs Available
    4. Syracuse University

    Program Options

    Master's
      • Masters of Communications
      • Masters of Science in Computer Science
      • Masters in Accounting
      • Masters in Business Administration
      • Masters in Public Administration
      • Masters of Library and Information Science
  • Online Programs Available
    5. Fordham University

    Program Options

    Master's
      • Master of Studies in Law in Corporate Compliance
      • Masters in Social Work
  • Online Programs Available
    6. Liberty University

    Program Options

    Doctorate
      • DME: Doctor of Music Education
      • LLM: International Legal Studies
      • EDD: Curriculum and Instruction
      • EDD: Curriculum and Instruction/Elementary Education
      • EDD: Curriculum and Instruction/Middle Grades Education
      • EDD: Curriculum and Instruction/Secondary Education
    Bachelor's
      • Bachelor of Science in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
    Certificate
      • CTG: Communication
      • CTG: Criminal Justice
      • CTG: Curriculum and Instruction
      • CTG: Higher Education Administration
      • CTG: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
      • CTG: Psychology
  • Campus and Online Programs
    7. Full Sail University

    Program Options

    Master's
      • Master of Science - Film Production
      • MS - Entertainment Business (Campus)
      • MS - Game Design (Campus)
      • Entertainment Business MS (Campus)
      • Computer Science Masters - Online
      • M.S. - Entertainment Business
    Bachelor's
      • BS - Sportscasting (Campus)
      • Bachelor of Science - Software Development
      • BS - Creative Writing Bachelors (Campus)
      • BS - Film (Campus)
      • BS - Media Communications (Campus)
      • BS - Computer Animation (Campus)
    Certificate
      • Business Certificate (Campus)
      • Computer Science Certificate (Campus)
      • Visual Design Certificate (Campus)
      • Creative Writing Certificate (Campus)
      • Marketing Certificate (Campus)
      • Application Development Fundamentals Certificate (Campus)
  • Online Programs Available
    8. Penn Foster

    Program Options

    Certificate
      • Career Diploma - Dental Assistant
      • Career Diploma - Motorcycle Repair Technician
      • Career Diploma - Payroll Clerk
      • Career Diploma - Diesel Mechanics/Heavy Truck Maintenance
      • Career Diploma - Home Remodeling and Repair
      • Career Diploma - Medical Billing and Coding
  • Online Programs Available
    9. Saint Leo University

    Program Options

    Bachelor's
      • BA: Criminal Justice
      • BA: Criminal Justice - Criminalistics
      • BA: Psychology
      • BA: Psychology - General
      • BS: Computer Science
      • BA: Psychology - Experimental
  • Campus Locations:
    10. Universal Technical Institute

    Program Options

    Associate's
      • Aviation Maintenance AAS
    Certificate
      • Collision Repair and Refinish Technology
      • Motorcycle Technician Specialist
      • Automotive Technology
      • Wind Power Technician
      • Marine Technician Specialist
      • Diesel Technology

Featured Schools

Grand Canyon University

  • Ed.D in Teaching and Learning with an Emphasis in Adult Learning - Qualitative Research
  • M.S. Psychology with an Emphasis in Gerontology
  • BS in Psychology

What is your highest level of education?

Bryant & Stratton College

  • BA - General Management
  • Criminal Justice Studies - AAS
  • Business Assistant Diploma

What is your high school graduation status?

Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology

  • Masters in Psychology
  • Masters in Dispute Resolution
  • Masters in Legal Studies

What is your highest level of education completed?

Syracuse University

  • Masters of Communications
  • Masters of Science in Computer Science
  • Masters in Accounting

What is your highest level of education completed?

Fordham University

  • Master of Studies in Law in Corporate Compliance
  • Masters in Social Work

What is your highest level of education completed?

Liberty University

  • DME: Doctor of Music Education
  • Bachelor of Science in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
  • CTG: Communication

What is your highest level of education?

Full Sail University

  • Master of Science - Film Production
  • BS - Sportscasting (Campus)
  • Business Certificate (Campus)

What is your highest level of education?

Penn Foster

  • Career Diploma - Dental Assistant
  • Career Diploma - Motorcycle Repair Technician
  • Career Diploma - Payroll Clerk

What is your highest level of education?