Liberal arts colleges are a great option for students seeking a well-rounded education in an intimate campus setting. The best liberal arts colleges in Michigan offer a diverse selection of degree programs with opportunities for a highly individualized educational experience.
With over 80 public and private colleges to choose from, students hoping to earn their associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree can find a program that suits their educational needs and budget. Michigan State University and the University of Michigan are the two largest schools, both serving around 42,000 students and costing $16,000 in tuition. Most of the schools in The Wolverine State, however, serve smaller student populations, with tuition fees ranging from $3,000 to $49,000.
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Additionally, students pursuing their degree at a school with religious affiliations have more than 20 options to choose from, including Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Grand Rapid’s Calvin College, and Hope College in Holland. Students attending one of Michigan’s private schools, like Davenport University, can earn their degrees in fields like nursing, education, criminal justice, and history. Michigan, like many other states, also provides a special loan forgiveness program to those in medical, dental, and mental health professions who work in underserved communities. Recipients can receive up to $200,000 of tax-free funds over an eight-year period.
The great state of Michigan famously serves as the major hub of the United States auto industry - and also boasts the longest freshwater coastline in the nation. Students who love the outdoors but are also drawn to the metropolitan energy of big cities like Detroit and Grand Rapids will feel very much at home in Michigan.
To find your degree program, explore some of the top schools in Michigan.
Related: Differences between research universities and teaching colleges
A liberal arts college is a school that puts a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree. We’ve identified 30 liberal arts colleges in Michigan. To be ranked among the best liberal arts colleges in Michigan, schools must fully accredited institutions.
Tuition + fees
$38K
Acceptance
75%
Graduation
77%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1210/26
Calvin University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$37K
Acceptance
92%
Graduation
81%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1200/26
Hope College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$13K
Acceptance
71%
Graduation
49%
Student body
6K
Northern Michigan University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$55K
Acceptance
80%
Graduation
76%
Student body
1K
Kalamazoo College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$53K
Acceptance
69%
Graduation
64%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1045/23
Albion College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$14K
Acceptance
92%
Graduation
67%
Student body
21K
Grand Valley State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$44K
Acceptance
86%
Graduation
70%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1270/27
Kettering University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$39K
Acceptance
76%
Graduation
53%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1023/22
Adrian College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$25K
Acceptance
52%
Graduation
64%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1015/20
Madonna University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$31K
Acceptance
89%
Graduation
44%
Student body
<1K
Olivet College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$38K
Acceptance
81%
Graduation
56%
Student body
2K
Lawrence Technological University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$14K
Acceptance
69%
Graduation
56%
Student body
7K
Median SAT/ACT
1205/25
University of Michigan–Dearborn’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$13K
Acceptance
73%
Graduation
52%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1035/22
Lake Superior State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$11K
Acceptance
78%
Graduation
42%
Student body
7K
Median SAT/ACT
1080/22
Saginaw Valley State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$21K
Acceptance
98%
Graduation
48%
Student body
4K
Davenport University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$44K
Acceptance
69%
Graduation
63%
Student body
2K
Alma College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$32K
Acceptance
63%
Graduation
51%
Student body
1K
Concordia University Ann Arbor’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$31K
Acceptance
60%
Graduation
64%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1085/23
Spring Arbor University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$27K
Acceptance
91%
Graduation
59%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1050/22
Cornerstone University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
20%
Student body
6K
Schoolcraft College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Graduation
23%
Student body
2K
Northwestern Michigan College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$25K
Acceptance
78%
Graduation
21%
Student body
<1K
Finlandia University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$29K
Acceptance
68%
Graduation
51%
Student body
2K
Siena Heights University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$25K
Acceptance
69%
Graduation
50%
Student body
<1K
Kuyper College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Graduation
15%
Student body
2K
Jackson College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
10%
Student body
8K
Henry Ford College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$36K
Acceptance
89%
Graduation
60%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1115/23
Aquinas College ’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Graduation
16%
Student body
2K
Lake Michigan College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$25K
Acceptance
98%
Graduation
40%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
950/20
Rochester College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$8K
Graduation
42%
Student body
<1K
Alpena Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.
Check out our directory of liberal arts colleges throughout the U.S. for a look at the top liberal arts schools in every state.