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 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 35358 | 16.42 | 1,390 – 1,530 | 17574 | 70800 |
#1
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
|
| 2 | Hillsdale College | 1565 | 19.25 | 1,350 – 1,480 | 23993 | 59800 |
#2
Hillsdale College
|
| 3 | Michigan State University | 41415 | 83.24 | 1,100 – 1,330 | 23657 | 62900 |
#3
Michigan State University
|
| 4 | Hope College | 3427 | 87.12 | 1,100 – 1,340 | 30700 | 56300 |
#4
Hope College
|
| 5 | Calvin University | 3359 | 67.91 | 1,120 – 1,350 | 25231 | 55600 |
Calvin University
|
| 6 | University of Detroit Mercy | 3577 | 75.07 | 1,040 – 1,280 | 16790 | 68000 |
University of Detroit Mercy
|
| 7 | Michigan Technological University | 6009 | 85.46 | 1,140 – 1,360 | 16879 | 59500 |
#7
Michigan Technological University
|
| 8 | Kalamazoo College | 1330 | 83.34 | 1,110 – 1,390 | 26956 | 54900 |
Kalamazoo College
|
| 9 | Northwestern Michigan College | 3253 | 69.95 | -- | 7427 | 59900 |
Northwestern Michigan College
|
| 10 | Andrews University | 1384 | 81.85 | 1,020 – 1,270 | 24728 | 59300 |
#10
Andrews University
|
| 11 | College for Creative Studies | 1376 | 91.94 | 990 – 1,210 | 36055 | 49400 |
College for Creative Studies
|
| 12 | Kettering University | 1212 | 78.67 | 1,100 – 1,310 | 35609 | 62600 |
#12
Kettering University
|
| 13 | Wayne State University | 16390 | 83.59 | 1,070 – 1,300 | 14416 | 64900 |
Wayne State University
|
| 14 | Alma College | 1198 | 65.69 | 930 – 1,150 | 22094 | 57000 |
Alma College
|
| 15 | Grand Valley State University | 19154 | 92.71 | 950 – 1,200 | 17198 | 58900 |
Grand Valley State University
|
| 16 | Cornerstone University | 1354 | 77.77 | 1,000 – 1,220 | 21335 | 59100 |
#16
Cornerstone University
|
| 17 | Northwood University | 2045 | 64.51 | 950 – 1,160 | 25549 | 64800 |
#17
Northwood University
|
| 18 | Spring Arbor University | 1133 | 65.18 | 1,010 – 1,240 | 21067 | 58500 |
#18
Spring Arbor University
|
| 19 | University of Michigan-Dearborn | 6187 | 55.61 | 1,000 – 1,260 | 11521 | 67800 |
#19
University of Michigan-Dearborn
|
| 20 | Central Michigan University | 10238 | 91.04 | 980 – 1,220 | 17575 | 61500 |
Central Michigan University
|
| 21 | Western Michigan University | 13714 | 91.21 | 960 – 1,220 | 17331 | 59800 |
#21
Western Michigan University
|
| 22 | Lawrence Technological University | 2661 | 81.01 | 1,030 – 1,270 | 34083 | 65200 |
Lawrence Technological University
|
| 23 | Aquinas College | 1103 | 97.26 | 920 – 1,150 | 18018 | 57100 |
Aquinas College
|
| 24 | Ferris State University | 8980 | 82.37 | 890 – 1,140 | 10825 | 62800 |
Ferris State University
|
| 25 | Oakland University | 12770 | 88.97 | 900 – 1,180 | 12208 | 61900 |
#25
Oakland University
|
| 26 | Northern Michigan University | 6650 | 85.05 | 990 – 1,210 | 15707 | 55900 |
Northern Michigan University
|
| 27 | Lake Superior State University | 1405 | 100 | 930 – 1,340 | 12339 | 58100 |
#27
Lake Superior State University
|
| 28 | Albion College | 1168 | 74.37 | 950 – 1,180 | 16719 | 56400 |
Albion College
|
| 29 | Saginaw Valley State University | 6280 | 78.43 | 930 – 1,170 | 11546 | 61500 |
Saginaw Valley State University
|
| 30 | University of Michigan-Flint | 5534 | 67.34 | 950 – 1,210 | 7852 | 61600 |
University of Michigan-Flint
|
| 31 | Eastern Michigan University | 10034 | 77.72 | 930 – 1,180 | 15742 | 60600 |
Eastern Michigan University
|
| 32 | Adrian College | 1675 | 72.57 | 920 – 1,170 | 25922 | 56800 |
Adrian College
|
| 33 | Kuyper College | 161 | 69.1 | 940 – 1,170 | 17669 | 53400 |
Kuyper College
|
| 34 | Baker College | 3827 | 82.48 | 870 – 1,180 | 13616 | 59800 |
Baker College
|
| 35 | Madonna University | 1919 | 67.57 | 810 – 1,040 | 18373 | 61400 |
Madonna University
|
| 36 | Great Lakes Christian College | 210 | 100 | -- | 16406 | 59900 |
Great Lakes Christian College
|
| 37 | Cleary University | 769 | 67.54 | 950 – 1,170 | 23705 | 67300 |
#37
Cleary University
|
| 38 | Rochester Christian University | 1162 | 97.64 | 860 – 1,080 | 21611 | 62200 |
Rochester Christian University
|
| 39 | Grace Christian University | 928 | 99.16 | 970 – 1,180 | 13275 | 58800 |
Grace Christian University
|
| 40 | The University of Olivet | 932 | 83.21 | 920 – 1,130 | 19362 | 58700 |
The University of Olivet
|
| 41 | Concordia University Ann Arbor | 755 | 69.25 | 1,010 – 1,340 | 31080 | 60000 |
Concordia University Ann Arbor
|
| 42 | Davenport University | 12066 | 97.81 | -- | 18538 | 64500 |
#42
Davenport University
|
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
Join thousands of students and parents learning about finding the right college, admissions secrets, scholarships, financial aid, and more.