Cheapest Colleges in Michigan
Sticker prices at the 38 four-year colleges we rank in Michigan run from $12,930 to $61,050 a year in tuition and fees, a gap of $48,120 between the cheapest school and the most expensive one.
The 15 public colleges here charge a median of $15,190 a year, $5,250 (53%) above the national public median of $9,940. The 23 private nonprofit colleges on the list charge a median of $34,400, under the $39,582 national private median. Sticker price alone rarely settles the cheapest private option, so check the net price column.
Saginaw Valley State University ranks first at $12,930, ahead of Baker College ($13,000) and Northern Michigan University ($14,277).
How this list is built
A college appears here only if it meets every condition below.
- Colleges considered
- 4-year colleges whose main award is the bachelor's degree (public, private nonprofit and for-profit)
- Ranked by in-state tuition & fees, lowest first. Ties are broken by larger undergraduate enrollment, then by name.
- Main campuses only, with at least 60% of core data fields reported
- Main campus located in Michigan
- At least 500 undergraduate students enrolled (fall 2024)
- A reported in-state tuition & fees value (schools without one are not ranked)
- Schools that report no tuition or a $0 price are not ranked
- This page is published only when at least 15 schools qualify; Michigan has 38
- Data period
- In-state tuition and fees: full-time undergraduate sticker price, academic year 2024-25. Some community colleges report the in-district rate.
- Out-of-state tuition and fees: academic year 2024-25. Shown for public colleges only, because private colleges charge everyone the same price.
- Net price: average for students receiving aid, academic year 2023-24.
- Graduation rate: first-time, full-time students who started in fall 2018 (4-year) or fall 2021 (2-year), finishing within 150% of normal time.
- Enrollment: undergraduate students, fall 2024.
- Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.
Showing all 38 qualifying schools. Select a column heading to re-sort the table.
| 1 | Saginaw Valley State University University Center, MI Public · 4-year | $12,930 | $30,450 | $10,775 | 51% | 5,989 |
| 2 | Baker College Owosso, MI Private nonprofit · 4-year | $13,000 | — | $13,157 | 33% | 3,026 |
| 3 | Northern Michigan University Marquette, MI Public · 4-year | $14,277 | $19,773 | $14,085 | 52% | 6,556 |
| 4 | University of Michigan-Flint Flint, MI Public · 4-year | $14,704 | $28,320 | $7,007 | 42% | 4,411 |
| 5 | Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI Public · 4-year | $14,760 | $14,760 | $17,597 | 60% | 10,035 |
| 6 | Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI Public · 4-year | $14,778 | $14,778 | $8,624 | 47% | 8,106 |
| 7 | Lake Superior State University Sault Ste Marie, MI Public · 4-year | $14,890 | $14,890 | $12,822 | 54% | 1,325 |
| 8 | Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI Public · 4-year | $15,140 | $21,548 | $16,317 | 68% | 18,854 |
| 9 | Wayne State University Detroit, MI Public · 4-year | $15,190 | $32,037 | $12,766 | 58% | 15,587 |
| 10 | Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI Public · 4-year | $15,252 | $19,034 | $15,273 | 58% | 12,568 |
| 11 | Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI Public · 4-year | $15,262 | $23,188 | $9,120 | 57% | 12,351 |
| 12 | University of Michigan-Dearborn Dearborn, MI Public · 4-year | $15,640 | $32,896 | $9,492 | 57% | 5,952 |
| 13 | Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI Public · 4-year | $16,240 | $16,240 | $15,407 | 46% | 10,055 |
| 14 | Michigan State University East Lansing, MI Public · 4-year | $16,458 | $43,842 | $19,680 | 81% | 40,922 |
| 15 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI Public · 4-year | $17,736 | $60,946 | $13,138 | 93% | 34,177 |
| 16 | Grace Christian University Wyoming, MI Private nonprofit · 4-year | $18,690 | — | $12,404 | 46% | 716 |
| 17 | Michigan Technological University Houghton, MI Public · 4-year | $19,123 | $42,988 | $14,182 | 68% | 5,955 |
| 18 | Cornerstone University Grand Rapids, MI Private nonprofit · 4-year | $23,000 | — | $20,301 | 62% | 1,298 |
| 19 | Davenport University Grand Rapids, MI Private nonprofit · 4-year | $24,466 | — | $17,707 | 53% | 3,134 |
| 20 | Cleary University Howell, MI Private nonprofit · 4-year | $26,102 | — | $22,143 | 41% | 738 |
| 21 | Madonna University Livonia, MI Private nonprofit · 4-year | $28,440 | — | $17,755 | 59% | 1,632 |
| 22 | Rochester Christian University Rochester Hills, MI Private nonprofit · 4-year | $29,196 | — | $21,456 | 43% | 792 |
| 23 | Siena Heights University Adrian, MI Private nonprofit · 4-year | $30,778 | — | $17,124 | 45% | 1,495 |
| 24 | University of Detroit Mercy Detroit, MI Private nonprofit · 4-year | $32,946 | — | $15,232 | 68% | 2,438 |
| 25 | Spring Arbor University Spring Arbor, MI Private nonprofit · 4-year | $34,014 | — | $19,353 | 61% | 1,010 |
| 26 | The University of Olivet Olivet, MI Private nonprofit · 4-year | $34,068 | — | $21,393 | 36% | 892 |
| 27 | Northwood University Midland, MI Private nonprofit · 4-year | $34,400 | — | $27,232 | 62% | 1,974 |
| 28 | Andrews University Berrien Springs, MI Private nonprofit · 4-year | $35,056 | — | $12,547 | 69% | 1,224 |
| 29 | Calvin University Grand Rapids, MI Private nonprofit · 4-year | $39,350 | — | $22,992 | 76% | 3,193 |
| 30 | Aquinas College Grand Rapids, MI Private nonprofit · 4-year | $40,218 | — | $16,626 | 64% | 1,083 |
| 31 | Adrian College Adrian, MI Private nonprofit · 4-year | $41,684 | — | $25,368 | 52% | 1,604 |
| 32 | Hope College Holland, MI Private nonprofit · 4-year | $41,970 | — | $27,182 | 81% | 3,288 |
| 33 | Lawrence Technological University Southfield, MI Private nonprofit · 4-year | $44,760 | — | $32,918 | 62% | 1,668 |
| 34 | Kettering University Flint, MI Private nonprofit · 4-year | $48,470 | — | $34,660 | 71% | 1,205 |
| 35 | Alma College Alma, MI Private nonprofit · 4-year | $49,552 | — | $20,694 | 63% | 1,148 |
| 36 | College for Creative Studies Detroit, MI Private nonprofit · 4-year | $53,350 | — | $34,617 | 70% | 1,230 |
| 37 | Albion College Albion, MI Private nonprofit · 4-year | $56,950 | — | $14,301 | 59% | 1,300 |
| 38 | Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo, MI Private nonprofit · 4-year | $61,050 | — | $19,072 | 79% | 1,149 |
How to compare these colleges
Start with the net price column rather than the sticker price. Net price is the average a student who receives aid pays after grants and scholarships, so a school that ranks lower here can still be the cheaper choice for your family. The out-of-state column applies only if you are not a legal resident of Michigan, and only public colleges charge a separate rate.
Guides worth reading first
More lists for Michigan
Cheap colleges in Michigan for out-of-state students
40 schools
Community colleges in Michigan
25 schools
Best value colleges in Michigan
37 schools
Highest graduate earnings in Michigan
41 schools
Most affordable private colleges in Michigan
23 schools
Same list in nearby states
Cheapest colleges in Ohio
56 schools
Cheapest colleges in Indiana
39 schools
Cheapest colleges in Wisconsin
31 schools
All 70 colleges in Michigan See the national version of this ranking