Best Online Master’s Programs in Michigan 2023

Best Online Master’s Programs in Michigan 2023

By James Barham
Reviewed By AI Staff

Published: May 11, 2022
Updated: Mar 13, 2023

Find the best online colleges in Michigan ranked by the academic success of faculty and alumni associated with the colleges and universities and their online degree programs. Faculty and alumni with influential ideas are the foundation of respectable online degree programs employers can trust.

Top 10 Online Master's Programs in Michigan

University of Michigan

83%

Michigan State University

65%

Wayne State University

61%

Western Michigan University

47%

University of Detroit Mercy

42%

Eastern Michigan University

40%

Michigan Technological University

39%

Central Michigan University

38%

Oakland University

38%

Andrews University

38%

Davenport University

98%

University of Detroit Mercy

93%

Oakland University

92%

Grand Valley State University

92%

Cornerstone University

91%

Michigan Technological University

86%

Kettering University

86%

Eastern Michigan University

85%

Michigan State University

83%

Western Michigan University

83%

Northern Michigan University

20 to 1

Oakland University

19 to 1

Central Michigan University

18 to 1

Western Michigan University

18 to 1

Saginaw Valley State University

17 to 1

Grand Valley State University

16 to 1

Michigan State University

16 to 1

Wayne State University

15 to 1

Cornerstone University

15 to 1

Eastern Michigan University

15 to 1

Kettering University

$44,380

$39,107

Calvin University

$38,240

Lawrence Technological University

$37,680

Andrews University

$31,782

Spring Arbor University

$31,080

Northwood University

$30,520

University of Detroit Mercy

$30,154

Siena Heights University

$28,502

Cornerstone University

$27,040

Northwood University

$37,080

Andrews University

$28,656

University of Michigan

$24,902

Michigan Technological University

$22,725

University of Detroit Mercy

$21,276

Michigan State University

$19,714

Oakland University

$19,323

$18,600

Grand Valley State University

$17,904

Lawrence Technological University

$17,836

Siena Heights University

20%

Davenport University

20%

Spring Arbor University

21%

Cornerstone University

22%

Western Michigan University Cooley Law School

23%

Madonna University

24%

Calvin Theological Seminary

24%

Northwood University

24%

Saginaw Valley State University

25%

26%

University of Michigan

20%

Madonna University

52%

Spring Arbor University

60%

Wayne State University

63%

Siena Heights University

68%

Northern Michigan University

71%

Calvin University

75%

76%

Central Michigan University

77%

Saginaw Valley State University

78%

Northwood University

9 to 1

Andrews University

10 to 1

University of Detroit Mercy

11 to 1

University of Michigan

11 to 1

Lawrence Technological University

11 to 1

Calvin University

12 to 1

Spring Arbor University

12 to 1

Siena Heights University

12 to 1

Kettering University

13 to 1

Madonna University

13 to 1

Saginaw Valley State University

$11,130

Northern Michigan University

$12,386

Central Michigan University

$13,200

Western Michigan University

$13,334

Wayne State University

$13,532

Grand Valley State University

$13,900

Oakland University

$15,135

Eastern Michigan University

$15,700

Michigan State University

$15,966

University of Michigan

$16,865

Spring Arbor University

$8,093

Northern Michigan University

$9,792

Calvin University

$11,880

Siena Heights University

$12,456

Cornerstone University

$14,160

Western Michigan University Cooley Law School

$14,400

Kettering University

$15,128

Central Michigan University

$15,194

Saginaw Valley State University

$15,748

Davenport University

$16,308

Featured Programs

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

Online master’s degrees offered by respected colleges and universities are generally respected by employers. The main thing to consider about your online master’s choices is whether the school name is well known and respected. In many cases, employers won’t know your degree was earned online. But even if they do, a degree from a respected college is automatically to your benefit.

We rank the colleges and universities in this list by the influence of their alumni and faculty. For master’s degree students, including online master’s degree students, having faculty who are influential in your field matters a lot. It’s a big indicator that you have the chance to get a quality education. And, knowing that you will join an alumni association with some impressive people is nice, too.

Frequently Asked Questions About Online Master’s Degrees

An online master’s degree costs about $40,000 for the average grad student. However, the cost of your online master’s degree will depend on the type of grad school you attend. In 2018-2019, the average cost for a year of tuition in a public grad school was $12,171. The average cost for a year of tuition in private, non-profit grad school was $27,776. An online master’s degree will usually cost about the same as a traditional master’s degree. Some schools will charge 5-10% more for online courses. This added cost pays for the technology and specialized training needed for online instruction. But getting a master’s degree online can also help you save money. The costs above don’t include expenses like housing, transportation, or certain campus fees. As an online grad student, you can save a lot of money by avoiding these added expenses. Many online master’s degree programs are also accelerated. Most master’s degree programs are designed to be completed in two years. But you may be able to earn your online master’s degree in as little as 12-18 months. Earning an accelerated online master’s degree can save you money on tuition.

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require some adjustment. While you’ll generally learn the same content and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, the medium will likely require you to manage much of this experience independently. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, your ability to harness the technology at your fingertips, and your ability to focus on the lectures, lessons, and assignments at hand. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take it upon yourself to build relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript or resume differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

While some employers may express concern about making the adjustment from online education to in-person workplace collaboration, many other employers will view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st Century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

The advantages of online classes are many. First and foremost, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will require some adjustment.

While there is much that can be supplanted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing which can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual classroom setting. As you make the adjustment to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face is overcoming this difference in order to the get the most out of your classes. Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

Best Online Colleges in Michigan — Download Badge

How do we determine Michigan's best online master's degree programs?

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.

Best Online Master’s Program in Michigan 2022

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