Paying for college · Michigan
What college really costs in Michigan
Average yearly net price after grants at 38 four-year colleges, lowest first. The figure for families earning under $30,000 shows how far need-based aid goes at each school.
Michigan state grants
- Michigan Achievement Scholarship: Up to $5,500 a year at a public university (up to five years)
- Federal Pell Grant: up to $7,395 a year (2026–27)
Working while you study
$13.73/hour minimum wage
rises to $15.00 on 1 January 2027.
All four-year colleges in Michigan
| College | Avg net price | Income under $30k | Graduate | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan-DearbornDearborn · public | $7,863 | $5,084 | 61% | $18,750 |
| Ferris State UniversityBig Rapids · public | $8,402 | $8,356 | 44% | $19,500 |
| Lake Superior State UniversitySault Ste Marie · public | $9,782 | $9,320 | 50% | $20,500 |
| Baker CollegeOwosso · private | $10,115 | $9,274 | 46% | $25,500 |
| Wayne State UniversityDetroit · public | $11,212 | $9,694 | 60% | $19,500 |
| Oakland UniversityRochester Hills · public | $11,815 | $8,052 | 58% | $20,500 |
| Saginaw Valley State UniversityUniversity Center · public | $12,147 | $9,300 | 51% | $23,706 |
| Northern Michigan UniversityMarquette · public | $12,759 | $6,162 | 54% | $19,500 |
| University of Detroit MercyDetroit · private | $13,469 | $10,761 | 74% | $20,103 |
| Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo · public | $13,902 | $5,317 | 59% | $25,000 |
| University of MichiganAnn Arbor · public | $14,362 | $3,155 | 93% | $18,515 |
| Albion CollegeAlbion · private | $14,673 | $10,470 | 57% | $27,000 |
| Madonna UniversityLivonia · private | $14,792 | $11,894 | 54% | $23,092 |
| Grand Valley State UniversityAllendale · public | $16,495 | $12,444 | 65% | $22,500 |
| Eastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti · public | $16,628 | $13,749 | 46% | $24,738 |
| Central Michigan UniversityMount Pleasant · public | $17,201 | $12,792 | 59% | $25,000 |
| Grace Christian UniversityWyoming · private | $17,500 | $17,317 | 37% | $26,750 |
| Davenport UniversityGrand Rapids · private | $17,623 | $17,274 | 53% | $24,702 |
| Cornerstone UniversityGrand Rapids · private | $18,028 | $15,325 | 62% | $23,627 |
| Great Lakes Christian CollegeLansing · private | $18,057 | $17,229 | 32% | $16,739 |
| Rochester Christian UniversityRochester Hills · private | $18,100 | $14,677 | 42% | $25,000 |
| Siena Heights UniversityAdrian · private | $18,630 | $17,143 | 59% | $20,380 |
| Spring Arbor UniversitySpring Arbor · private | $19,227 | $13,186 | 62% | $25,000 |
| The University of OlivetOlivet · private | $19,491 | $16,797 | 37% | $26,000 |
| Cleary UniversityHowell · private | $19,651 | $15,502 | 68% | $10,502 |
| Kalamazoo CollegeKalamazoo · private | $20,784 | $12,248 | 74% | $25,000 |
| Calvin UniversityGrand Rapids · private | $21,122 | $15,829 | 77% | $19,500 |
| Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing · public | $21,322 | $11,741 | 80% | $20,000 |
| Aquinas CollegeGrand Rapids · private | $21,630 | $12,365 | 56% | $20,000 |
| Kuyper CollegeGrand Rapids · private | $24,540 | $22,489 | 67% | $20,780 |
| Alma CollegeAlma · private | $24,918 | $25,574 | 68% | $27,000 |
| Northwood UniversityMidland · private | $25,908 | $21,142 | 64% | $19,500 |
| Hope CollegeHolland · private | $26,392 | $24,738 | 78% | $23,250 |
| Andrews UniversityBerrien Springs · private | $29,164 | $26,119 | 71% | $24,500 |
| Kettering UniversityFlint · private | $29,797 | $20,842 | 74% | $24,500 |
| Adrian CollegeAdrian · private | $31,986 | $30,873 | 51% | $27,000 |
| College for Creative StudiesDetroit · private | $32,332 | $26,496 | 55% | $25,000 |
| Lawrence Technological UniversitySouthfield · private | $33,466 | $30,378 | 60% | $27,000 |
Linked colleges have a full funding guide. More are added every week.
Short of what aid covers?
Students in Michigan use My Study Fund to collect monthly support from family, friends and mentors, and receive every dollar.
Sources
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; state program pages linked above, checked 2026-10-28. Four-year, campus-based public and private nonprofit colleges with complete net-price data.