Why This Matters
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MICHIGAN HAS 35 TWO-YEAR COLLEGES
There are currently 35 community colleges in Michigan with two-year associate degree programs, as reported by College Navigator.
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$4,263 AVERAGE TUITION FOR IN-DISTRICT STUDENTS
According to data from College Board, community college students in Michigan paid an average of $4,263 in tuition and fees for the 2022-23 academic year.
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80.6% OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS RECEIVE FINANCIAL AID
The National Center for Education Statistics estimates that 370,718 students attending two-year institutions during the 2020-21 school year received some type of financial aid.
Our Research
This list features some of the best community colleges in Michigan. Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution — either public or private — with a high standard of academic quality for post-secondary institutions. We included small, midsize, and large colleges as well as trade, technical, and vocational programs. Next, we compared this comprehensive list to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications like the U.S. News & World Report among others to simplify a student’s college search. We pored through these rankings so students don’t have to.
The colleges on our list are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), a reputable organization that examines objectives, quality and overall effectiveness of education programs throughout the United States.
We evaluated each school on tuition costs, admission, retention and graduation rates, faculty, and reputation as well as the student resources provided for students. Then we calculated the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100. Read more about our ranking methodology.
Online College Programs That Might Interest You
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
The Top 50 Community Colleges in Michigan
Discover More Options
What You Should Know About Graduating From Community College in Michigan
Researching the highest-paying careers in Michigan that require an associate degree can help you choose the right program. Nuclear technicians and radiation therapists are ranked as the highest-paid in the state, with funeral home managers close behind. Another lucrative career in Michigan for two-year graduates is nuclear medicine technologists.
Another area to look at when choosing an associate program in Michigan is the number of projected job openings. For the 2021-31 period, it’s estimated that preschool teachers, paralegals and legal assistants, and radiologic technicians will have the most job openings.
Declining employment statistics are also helpful to know when choosing a two-year college. It’s estimated that between 2021 and 2031, nuclear technicians in Michigan will see the highest rate of job decline. Broadcast technicians and human resources assistants are two more associate-level jobs where a rapid rate of decline is anticipated.
What’s Next?
When searching for the right community college in Michigan, financial aid research should be part of the process. To help you get started, we’ve compiled state and federal student financial aid resources. These websites contain information about loans, grants, and scholarships for two-year students.
- Michigan Student Aid. This state website has plenty of information regarding financial aid opportunities — including scholarships and loans. There are also resources to help students save and plan for their higher education.
- Federal Student Aid. Students receive more than $120 billion annually from the U.S. Department of Education in the form of grants, scholarships, and other opportunities. Find out if you’re eligible for federal aid at FAFSA4caster, or go ahead and fill out your FAFSA form online.
- CareerOneStop. Find application requirements, contact information, and financial aid dollar amounts at this website, which is sponsored by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Financial aid opportunities can be filtered by state and degree level.