Match #1
Oakland University-Michigan
Rochester Hills, MI
Profile closeness96/100
Admit rate88%
- 12,351 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 58%, close to 59%
- Enrollment 12,351 students, close to 12,568
The colleges most similar to Western Michigan University are Oakland University-Michigan, Central Michigan University, and Wayne State University-Michigan. Western Michigan University admits 85% of applicants and has an average net price of $13,902 a year; 6 of its 10 alternatives cost less and 5 admit a larger share of applicants, in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition.
Profile closeness (0–100) compares graduation rate, size, admit rate, net price, Carnegie class, and control with Western Michigan University. The order also uses CollegesRef matching tiers, so a later match can score higher. Admit-rate bars use a 0–100% scale.
Top 10 alternatives to Western Michigan University
Row-wise results ranked by similarity. No curated AI list exists for this school.
Match #2
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI
Profile closeness92/100
Admit rate90%
- 10,035 students
- Public
- Town: Distant
- Graduation rate 59%, close to 59%
- Enrollment 10,035 students, close to 12,568
Match #3
Wayne State University-Michigan
Detroit, MI
Profile closeness90/100
Admit rate81%
- 15,587 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 60%, close to 59%
- Enrollment 15,587 students, close to 12,568
Match #4
Grand Valley State University
Allendale, MI
Profile closeness85/100
Admit rate83%
- 18,854 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 65%, close to 59%
- Enrollment 18,854 students, close to 12,568
Match #5
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, MI
Profile closeness83/100
Admit rate80%
- 10,055 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Enrollment 10,055 students, close to 12,568
- Acceptance rate 80%, close to 85%
Match #6
Northern Michigan University
Marquette, MI
Profile closeness80/100
Admit rate84%
- 6,556 students
- Public
- Town: Remote
- Graduation rate 54%, close to 59%
- Acceptance rate 84%, close to 85%
Match #7
Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI
Profile closeness80/100
Admit rate92%
- 5,955 students
- Public
- Town: Remote
- Average net price $13,446, close to $13,902
- Acceptance rate 92%, close to 85%
Match #8
Saginaw Valley State University
University Center, MI
Profile closeness75/100
Admit rate72%
- 5,989 students
- Public
- Suburb: Midsize
- Graduation rate 51%, close to 59%
- Average net price $12,147, close to $13,902
Match #9
Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI
Profile closeness74/100
Admit rate91%
- 8,106 students
- Public
- Town: Distant
- Acceptance rate 91%, close to 85%
- Same control type (public)
Match #10
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Profile closeness60/100
Admit rate85%
- 40,922 students
- Public
- City: Small
- Acceptance rate 85%, close to 85%
- Same control type (public)
Questions about Western Michigan University alternatives
What colleges are similar to Western Michigan University?
The closest matches to Western Michigan University are Oakland University-Michigan, Central Michigan University, Wayne State University-Michigan, Grand Valley State University, and Eastern Michigan University. CollegesRef ranks them on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile using IPEDS and College Scorecard data.
Is Western Michigan University hard to get into?
Western Michigan University admitted 85% of its 18,853 applicants in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition, so it is not very selective: it admits most applicants. 5 of its 10 closest alternatives admit a larger share of applicants.
Which Western Michigan University alternatives cost less?
6 of the 10 closest alternatives have a lower average net price than Western Michigan University ($13,902 a year), including Ferris State University ($8,402), Wayne State University-Michigan ($11,212), and Oakland University-Michigan ($11,815). Net price is what first-time, full-time students paid after grants; your own price depends on family income.
