Best colleges for education in Michigan

    University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ranks first in Michigan for education value (#23 nationally, value score 82.4): graduates earn $54,558 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $14,362 a year.

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 19 Michigan colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026

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    Best education colleges in Michigan

    University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ranks first in Michigan for education value (#23 nationally, value score 82.4): graduates earn $54,558 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $14,362 a year. 19 Michigan colleges qualify. At the median one, education graduates earn $48,506 and the average net price is $16,495 a year.

    Source: U.S. College Scorecard field of study, 2025

    What the data shows

    Key findings

    • 19 Michigan colleges qualify. At the median one, education graduates earn $48,506 and the average net price is $16,495 a year.
    • The lowest average net price among them is at University of Michigan-Dearborn: $7,863 a year.
    Median earnings
    $48,506
    National: $48,822
    Median net price
    $16,495
    National: $17,201
    Median federal debt
    $24,685
    education graduates
    Public colleges
    13 of 19
    in this list

    19 colleges

    The Michigan ranking

    Ordered by the national value score; the national rank is shown with each college. Earnings are medians 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    1. Rank in Michigan 1

      University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

      Ann Arbor, MI · Public · #23 nationally

      82.4Value
      Earnings
      $54,558
      Net price
      $14,362
      Federal debt
      $15,289
      Graduation rate
      93%
    2. Rank in Michigan 2

      University of Michigan-Dearborn

      Dearborn, MI · Public · #95 nationally

      68.7Value
      Earnings
      $49,236
      Net price
      $7,863
      Federal debt
      $19,000
      Graduation rate
      61%
    3. Rank in Michigan 3

      Michigan State University

      East Lansing, MI · Public · #118 nationally

      65.4Value
      Earnings
      $52,243
      Net price
      $21,322
      Federal debt
      $19,500
      Graduation rate
      80%
    4. Rank in Michigan 4

      Oakland University-Michigan

      Rochester Hills, MI · Public · #179 nationally

      57.5Value
      Earnings
      $48,396
      Net price
      $11,815
      Federal debt
      $21,500
      Graduation rate
      58%
    5. Rank in Michigan 5

      Wayne State University-Michigan

      Detroit, MI · Public · #227 nationally

      53.1Value
      Earnings
      $48,506
      Net price
      $11,212
      Federal debt
      $25,958
      Graduation rate
      60%
    6. Rank in Michigan 6

      Saginaw Valley State University

      University Center, MI · Public · #234 nationally

      52.3Value
      Earnings
      $48,561
      Net price
      $12,147
      Federal debt
      $23,683
      Graduation rate
      51%
    7. Rank in Michigan 7

      Grand Valley State University

      Allendale, MI · Public · #239 nationally

      51.6Value
      Earnings
      $49,225
      Net price
      $16,495
      Federal debt
      $24,685
      Graduation rate
      65%
    8. Rank in Michigan 8

      Western Michigan University

      Kalamazoo, MI · Public · #244 nationally

      51.2Value
      Earnings
      $49,340
      Net price
      $13,902
      Federal debt
      $27,000
      Graduation rate
      59%
    9. Rank in Michigan 9

      Cornerstone University

      Grand Rapids, MI · Private nonprofit · #260 nationally

      49.6Value
      Earnings
      $47,341
      Net price
      $18,028
      Federal debt
      $19,500
      Graduation rate
      62%
    10. Rank in Michigan 10

      Central Michigan University

      Mount Pleasant, MI · Public · #279 nationally

      47.6Value
      Earnings
      $49,677
      Net price
      $17,201
      Federal debt
      $27,000
      Graduation rate
      59%
    11. Rank in Michigan 11

      Hope College-Michigan

      Holland, MI · Private nonprofit · #301 nationally

      45.9Value
      Earnings
      $49,627
      Net price
      $26,392
      Federal debt
      $25,000
      Graduation rate
      78%
    12. Rank in Michigan 12

      Northern Michigan University

      Marquette, MI · Public · #307 nationally

      45.2Value
      Earnings
      $46,002
      Net price
      $12,759
      Federal debt
      $22,985
      Graduation rate
      54%
    13. Rank in Michigan 13

      Calvin University

      Grand Rapids, MI · Private nonprofit · #317 nationally

      44.1Value
      Earnings
      $45,579
      Net price
      $21,122
      Federal debt
      $19,500
      Graduation rate
      77%
    14. Rank in Michigan 14

      Eastern Michigan University

      Ypsilanti, MI · Public · #354 nationally

      40.8Value
      Earnings
      $48,994
      Net price
      $16,628
      Federal debt
      $27,000
      Graduation rate
      46%
    15. Rank in Michigan 15

      University of Michigan-Flint

      Flint, MI · Public · #374 nationally

      38.9Value
      Earnings
      $45,861
      Net price
      $8,320
      Federal debt
      $29,000
      Graduation rate
      43%
    16. Rank in Michigan 16

      Ferris State University

      Big Rapids, MI · Public · #377 nationally

      38.0Value
      Earnings
      $45,053
      Net price
      $8,402
      Federal debt
      $26,274
      Graduation rate
      44%
    17. Rank in Michigan 17

      Adrian College

      Adrian, MI · Private nonprofit · #460 nationally

      27.3Value
      Earnings
      $48,453
      Net price
      $31,986
      Federal debt
      $29,000
      Graduation rate
      51%
    18. Rank in Michigan 18

      Rochester University-Michigan

      Rochester Hills, MI · Private nonprofit · #470 nationally

      26.3Value
      Earnings
      $43,039
      Net price
      $18,100
      Federal debt
      $20,795
      Graduation rate
      42%
    19. Rank in Michigan 19

      Alma College

      Alma, MI · Private nonprofit · #475 nationally

      25.1Value
      Earnings
      $44,458
      Net price
      $24,918
      Federal debt
      $27,000
      Graduation rate
      68%

    Method: the same value score as the national education ranking (earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate, each a national percentile). Data: College Scorecard, reporting year 2025; 2026–27 edition, verified Nov 2026.

    Questions about education colleges in Michigan

    What are the best colleges for education in Michigan?

    By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 Michigan colleges for education are University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (value score 82.4), University of Michigan-Dearborn (value score 68.7) and Michigan State University (value score 65.4). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.

    Which Michigan college has the highest earnings for education graduates?

    University of Michigan-Ann Arbor: its education graduates have median earnings of $54,558 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    What is the most affordable education college in Michigan on this list?

    University of Michigan-Dearborn has the lowest average net price of the ranked Michigan colleges, $7,863 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.

    How many Michigan colleges are ranked for education?

    19 Michigan colleges have a education bachelor's program with enough graduates and reported earnings, plus a published net price and graduation rate. Ranks shown are national; the state rank is their order within Michigan.