Best Colleges in Michigan of 2023

Located in beautiful Ann Arbor, Michigan, the University of Michigan offers outstanding education for its large and diverse student body. U.S. News and World Reports ranked the University of Michigan as the #3 Best Public University in the U.S., while QS World University Rankings has placed it as #1. With such a renowned university, it has a vast amount of research done for students entering science fields, in addition to arts programs that are respected in their fields. For example, The MFA program in Creative Writing is routinely listed as one of the country's best and best-funded writing programs. Finally, the University of Michigan also offers a beautiful campus in a city known for its culture and scenic views.

Whether you are going into medicine or the energy fields, Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, has likely been lauded for research in your field. Within the Michigan State University Grand Rapids Innovation Park is the Doug Meijer Medical Innovation Building, where advanced cancer care treatments and diagnoses are being worked on. While in the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, researchers are studying atomic nuclei in the world's most powerful heavy ion accelerator. MSU is the place to be for those wanting to ensure that they can conduct research in the most advanced facilities alongside distinguished faculty and researchers.

Michigan Technological University is best known for their College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, which offers bachelor's degree paths for forestry, applied ecology, sustainable bioproducts, natural resources management, wildlife ecology and conservation, and environmental science and sustainability. At the graduate level, their programs include Master's in Forestry, Master's in Applied Ecology, Ph.D. in Forest Science, and Ph.D. in Forest Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology. With their integrated field practicum, you'll spend most of your time in this program outdoors (Michigan Technological University maintains over 5,000 acres of research and recreation forests), and their $1,100 Earn-and-Learn Assistantship is available to all first-year and transfer students.

This private Catholic university offers over 100 academic programs for students to choose from. As an institution, the University of Detroit Mercy expresses their religious values by emphasizing how the skills that students learn in school can be used to make the world a better place. It's also worth noting that this school has a student-faculty ratio of just 11:1 - no matter which major you select, you should be able to get all the personalized support from your professors that you need to understand course materials and succeed academically.

There are over 300 degree paths available at Central Michigan University. This is the best school in the state for students who are interested in studying neuroscience, as they offer world-class faculty and truly state-of-the-art facilities for this field. There are two concentration options available for an undergraduate degree in neuroscience: Clinical Health Neuroscience, which is designed for students who plan to immediately enter the psychology or health professions after graduating with their bachelor's, and Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, which is designed for students who plan to go to medical school or earn a graduate degree in neuroscience (master's and Ph.D. programs for neuroscience majors are also available at Central Michigan University).

Located in Detroit, Michigan, Wayne State University is home to nearly 25,000 students in its undergraduate and graduate degree programs. With well-regarded programs in Education, Information Sciences, and Fine Arts, it also has an exceptional Business program within the Mike Ilitch School of Business. With a focus on students who can help create vitality within Detroit or whatever part of the world they choose to live in, the business school's undergraduate program in Global Supply Chain has been routinely ranked within the top 25 schools by Gartner Research. The business program also emphasizes learning through doing and has a scholarship designed around creating the best elevator pitch.

When you want to create your own program of study, look no further than Kalamazoo College. Home of the nationally-renowned K-Plan, Kalamazoo College allows students to develop a personalized approach to their liberal arts and sciences education. The K-Plan involves a 4-year plan that doesn't include general education classes, instead allowing students to shape their major with guidance from faculty mentors. They also offer an integrated study abroad program, career development that utilizes hands-on approaches, and independent scholarship as an integrated senior year project. This in-depth project involves advanced research resulting in a thesis, performance, or creative work.

Western Michigan University is most notable for their College of Aviation, which offers bachelor's degree programs for aviation flight science, aviation technical operations, and aviation management. The Cirrus SR-20 is the primary aircraft that the school uses to train students, and their fleet also includes the Piper Seminole for multi-engine training, Piper Super Cub for amphibious floats, and American Champion Super Decathlon for disorientation recovery and spin training. Western Michigan University's partnerships with organizations such as Delta and American Airlines can help you quickly land a job in this industry after you graduate.

The J.N. Andrews Honors Program is an excellent option for high-achieving students who believe it's important for their college experience to be intellectually stimulating. Honors courses feature small class sizes and a discussion-style learning format, and they are taught by this school's most distinguished professors. These courses often involve museum visits, trips to concerts and theater performances, and other experiential learning activities as well. To get accepted into this honors program, incoming freshmen need at least a 3.5 high school GPA as well as a 1200 score on the SAT (math and critical reading only) or a 25 composite score on the ACT.

If you're interested in studying politics, then you should certainly consider attending Hillsdale College. Their Van Andel Graduate School of Statesmanship offers degree paths for Master's in Politics and Ph.D. in Politics - these programs immerse students in the core texts of the Western and American political traditions, and they will prepare you for a career in the legal profession, journalism, public policy, and related fields.