The Top 50 Best Colleges in the US is College Raptor’s most prestigious rankings list. Updated annually, these schools are celebrated for their rich histories, stunning campuses, excellent academics, and vibrant student life. The institutions on this list are known for both academic excellence and impressive extracurricular opportunities, making them “dream schools” for students around the world. Use these rankings as a jumping-off point for you to create your own personalized rankings using our college match tool.
Each of these rankings is based on an analysis of data about the school’s selectivity, financial health, graduation rates, student success, and more. We’ve outlined our full methodology here.
| Rank | Institution | Undergraduates | Acceptance Rate | SAT Score | Your Est. Net Price Avg. Net Price | Median Starting Salary | Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hillsdale College | 1649 | 20.72 | 1,350 – 1,480 | 26030 | 63721 |
#1
Hillsdale College
|
| 2 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 34454 | 15.64 | 1,370 – 1,530 | 19005 | 73762 |
#2
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
|
| 3 | Hope College | 3395 | 79.24 | 1,130 – 1,370 | 28643 | 49727 |
Hope College
|
| 4 | Michigan State University | 41234 | 84.8 | 1,120 – 1,330 | 24630 | 55084 |
#4
Michigan State University
|
| 5 | Kalamazoo College | 1166 | 75.33 | 1,210 – 1,380 | 26050 | 46137 |
Kalamazoo College
|
| 6 | Calvin University | 3356 | 70.91 | 1,090 – 1,350 | 26374 | 48039 |
#6
Calvin University
|
| 7 | University of Detroit Mercy | 3422 | 75.72 | 1,040 – 1,270 | 17987 | 64534 |
#7
University of Detroit Mercy
|
| 8 | Michigan Technological University | 6022 | 83.53 | 1,150 – 1,370 | 17928 | 69672 |
#8
Michigan Technological University
|
| 9 | Andrews University | 1312 | 87.4 | 1,080 – 1,350 | 24874 | 43254 |
Andrews University
|
| 10 | Cornerstone University | 1444 | 73.16 | 1,010 – 1,240 | 23147 | 42598 | |
| 11 | Alma College | 1159 | 57 | 970 – 1,200 | 24862 | 45720 |
Alma College
|
| 12 | Kettering University | 1212 | 78.67 | 1,100 – 1,310 | 33616 | 80275 |
Kettering University
|
| 13 | Sacred Heart Major Seminary | 188 | 100 | 1,080 – 1,240 | 10371 | 63721 |
Sacred Heart Major Seminary
|
| 14 | Northwood University | 1989 | 83.9 | 970 – 1,180 | 26429 | 54058 |
#14
Northwood University
|
| 15 | College for Creative Studies | 1376 | 91.94 | 990 – 1,210 | 34436 | 33691 |
College for Creative Studies
|
| 16 | Grand Valley State University | 19002 | 83.02 | 1,110 – 1,370 | 17995 | 47840 |
Grand Valley State University
|
| 17 | Wayne State University | 16173 | 77.86 | 1,070 – 1,280 | 16021 | 45207 |
Wayne State University
|
| 18 | Albion College | 1308 | 80.7 | 950 – 1,180 | 18470 | 48203 |
Albion College
|
| 19 | Spring Arbor University | 1091 | 37.33 | 1,010 – 1,230 | 21720 | 45592 |
Spring Arbor University
|
| 20 | University of Michigan-Dearborn | 6187 | 55.61 | 1,000 – 1,260 | 12798 | 50389 |
University of Michigan-Dearborn
|
| 21 | Western Michigan University | 13860 | 84.6 | 980 – 1,230 | 20183 | 45356 |
Western Michigan University
|
| 22 | Aquinas College | 1019 | 89.88 | 920 – 1,150 | 19890 | 40161 |
Aquinas College
|
| 23 | Central Michigan University | 10219 | 89.82 | 980 – 1,210 | 15826 | 46567 |
Central Michigan University
|
| 24 | Madonna University | 1839 | 92.93 | 890 – 1,120 | 18583 | 49871 |
Madonna University
|
| 25 | Oakland University | 12587 | 87.84 | 920 – 1,180 | 15734 | 49017 |
#25
Oakland University
|
| 26 | Ferris State University | 8989 | 91.51 | 900 – 1,130 | 13154 | 47339 |
Ferris State University
|
| 27 | Lawrence Technological University | 2579 | 74.03 | 1,050 – 1,260 | 33807 | 58827 |
#27
Lawrence Technological University
|
| 28 | Northern Michigan University | 6684 | 84.02 | 990 – 1,210 | 17937 | 37996 |
Northern Michigan University
|
| 29 | Concordia University Ann Arbor | 1044 | 72.09 | 1,010 – 1,180 | 28020 | 49761 |
Concordia University Ann Arbor
|
| 30 | Northwestern Michigan College | 3146 | 69.95 | -- | 5831 | 34918 |
Northwestern Michigan College
|
| 31 | Siena Heights University | 1669 | 66.56 | 890 – 1,110 | 17740 | 49913 |
Siena Heights University
|
| 32 | Lake Superior State University | 1551 | 100 | 930 – 1,340 | 14345 | 42767 |
Lake Superior State University
|
| 33 | Adrian College | 1678 | 68.43 | 950 – 1,170 | 22053 | 42805 |
Adrian College
|
| 34 | Eastern Michigan University | 10470 | 79.64 | 930 – 1,180 | 17388 | 43148 |
Eastern Michigan University
|
| 35 | Saginaw Valley State University | 6152 | 72.07 | 930 – 1,170 | 15144 | 43530 |
Saginaw Valley State University
|
| 36 | University of Michigan-Flint | 5011 | 70.47 | 970 – 1,240 | 12344 | 45453 |
University of Michigan-Flint
|
| 37 | The University of Olivet | 938 | 97.11 | 970 – 1,140 | 23533 | 42637 |
The University of Olivet
|
| 38 | Grace Christian University | 891 | 99.31 | 850 – 1,140 | 14127 | 31450 |
Grace Christian University
|
| 39 | Cleary University | 811 | 50.97 | 950 – 1,170 | 24965 | 55077 |
Cleary University
|
| 40 | Rochester Christian University | 1144 | 65.3 | 850 – 1,110 | 19660 | 40813 |
Rochester Christian University
|
| 41 | Davenport University | 4991 | 98.27 | -- | 19799 | 47041 | |
| 42 | Baker College | 3595 | 81.87 | 960 – 1,160 | 14743 | 33619 |
Baker College
|
| 43 | Kuyper College | 153 | 33.85 | 940 – 1,170 | 27708 | 33956 |
#43
Kuyper College
|
| 44 | Great Lakes Christian College | 130 | 94.69 | -- | 19390 | 28240 |
Great Lakes Christian College
|
| 45 | Jackson College | 4975 | 75.85 | -- | 8361 | 59423 |
Jackson College
|
School data is from 2022–2023 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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