Best Private Colleges in Michigan 2024

Badge for BEST IN MICHIGAN PRIVATE COLLEGES

Published: Mar 24, 2021
Updated: Oct 16, 2023

Private colleges, unlike large public institutions, can be a great option for students wanting a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Here is our list of the best private colleges in Michigan.

Andrews University
Calvin University
Hope College
Kalamazoo College
University of Detroit Mercy
Albion College
Kettering University
Olivet College
Alma College
Adrian College

Davenport University 99%
University of Detroit Mercy 91%
Aquinas College 91%
Andrews University 91%
Olivet College 85%
Lawrence Technological University 82%
Cornerstone University 82%
Kettering University 81%
Hope College 80%
Kalamazoo College 79%

Davenport University 16 to 1
Adrian College 16 to 1
Cornerstone University 15 to 1
Rochester College 14 to 1
Olivet College 14 to 1
Alma College 14 to 1
Madonna University 12 to 1
Finlandia University 12 to 1
Kettering University 12 to 1
Calvin University 12 to 1

Kalamazoo College $56,562
Albion College $54,930
Alma College $45,616
Kettering University $44,380
Adrian College $39,596
Lawrence Technological University $39,570
Calvin University $38,620
Hope College $38,370
Aquinas College $37,280
Concordia University Ann Arbor $32,982

Albion College $30,000
Andrews University $26,580
University of Detroit Mercy $21,626
Lawrence Technological University $18,774
Alma College $18,720
Adrian College $18,600
Davenport University $17,262
Madonna University $16,830
Kettering University $14,582
Concordia University Ann Arbor $14,166

Rochester College
Aquinas College
Kuyper College
Siena Heights University
Finlandia University
Cornerstone University
Spring Arbor University
Concordia University Ann Arbor
Alma College
Davenport University

Rochester College
Concordia University Ann Arbor
Aquinas College
Siena Heights University
Davenport University
Spring Arbor University
Kuyper College
Cornerstone University
Finlandia University
Madonna University

Spring Arbor University 47%
Alma College 65%
Siena Heights University 65%
Madonna University 65%
Finlandia University 67%
Albion College 67%
Adrian College 69%
Concordia University Ann Arbor 70%
Rochester College 71%
Calvin University 74%

Kuyper College 7 to 1
Spring Arbor University 10 to 1
Kalamazoo College 10 to 1
Andrews University 10 to 1
Lawrence Technological University 11 to 1
Hope College 11 to 1
Aquinas College 11 to 1
Albion College 11 to 1
University of Detroit Mercy 11 to 1
Concordia University Ann Arbor 11 to 1

Davenport University $22,244
Kuyper College $25,370
Finlandia University $25,946
Madonna University $26,100
Rochester College $26,736
Cornerstone University $27,880
Siena Heights University $29,044
University of Detroit Mercy $31,058
Spring Arbor University $31,660
Olivet College $32,006

Kuyper College $5,400
Spring Arbor University $8,198
Rochester College $11,034
Aquinas College $11,718
Calvin University $11,880
Siena Heights University $12,600
Cornerstone University $14,160
Concordia University Ann Arbor $14,166
Kettering University $14,582
Madonna University $16,830

Table of Contents

Colleges and Universities in Michigan

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.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

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.

What are Michigan’s Colleges & Universities?

Michigan’s Best Overall

What is the difference between public and private colleges?

Public and private colleges and universities operate under different business models. Public colleges and universities are owned by the state and receive both state and federal funding to operate. Private colleges and universities are private companies with private funding. If you’re looking at the pros and cons of private vs. public colleges, consider that many public colleges provide diverse course offerings, influential professors, and an excellent return on your investment.

Public colleges are schools that receive most of their funding from tax revenues. As a result, the cost of a bachelor’s degree at a public university is often lower than the equivalent cost at a private college — especially for students attending a public school in their home state. Attending a college in-state is usually the cheapest option. Private universities and colleges can be very competitive with their funding opportunities, so do not simply believe that private colleges are always going to be more expensive. According to National Center for Educational Statistics, the average annual cost (tuition, fees, room and board for full-time students) at a public university was slightly over $20,000. In contrast, private universities cost, on average, nearly $43,000 annually. But in the end, the cost of college comes down to each student’s academic and financial situation.

How do we determine Michigan's best private colleges and universities?

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

This list is composed entirely of private colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees. We’ve identified 21 private universities in Michigan. To be included in the list below of the best private universities in Michigan, schools must be fully accredited, private, non-profit institution, and must offer a broad range of bachelor’s degrees.