Ranking

Best Design and Applied Arts Colleges in Michigan 2026

Kellogg Community College leads this ROI ranking with an A+ value grade and a 19.72 school-wide ROI proxy. EduGradify ranks 25 eligible colleges here by earnings against net price.

31 eligible Michigan colleges reporting awards in Design and Applied Arts, ranked by EduGradify's school-wide value signal.

Schools ranked: 25
Cheapest net price: $4,858
Top earnings 10y: $67,253
Public / Private: 21 / 4

Kellogg Community College

A+

Battle Creek, MI · Public

ROI proxy: 19.72
Net price: $4,858
Earnings 10y: $38,329
Acceptance: Open / not reported

University of Michigan-Flint

A+

Flint, MI · Public

ROI proxy: 18.99
Net price: $7,007
Earnings 10y: $53,230
Acceptance: 70.5%

St Clair County Community College

A+

Port Huron, MI · Public

ROI proxy: 18.03
Net price: $5,571
Earnings 10y: $40,177
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Lansing Community College

A+

Lansing, MI · Public

ROI proxy: 18.03
Net price: $5,437
Earnings 10y: $39,206
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Oakland Community College

Auburn Hills, MI · Public

ROI proxy: 16.18
Net price: $5,777
Earnings 10y: $37,395
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, MI · Public

ROI proxy: 16.07
Net price: $9,120
Earnings 10y: $58,612
Acceptance: 87.8%

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI · Public

ROI proxy: 15.87
Net price: $8,624
Earnings 10y: $54,735
Acceptance: 91.4%

Southwestern Michigan College

Dowagiac, MI · Public

ROI proxy: 15.60
Net price: $5,978
Earnings 10y: $37,303
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Northwestern Michigan College

Traverse City, MI · Public

ROI proxy: 15.31
Net price: $6,231
Earnings 10y: $38,167
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#10

Mott Community College

Flint, MI · Public

ROI proxy: 14.30
Net price: $5,687
Earnings 10y: $32,538
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#11

Lake Michigan College

Benton Harbor, MI · Public

ROI proxy: 12.90
Net price: $6,680
Earnings 10y: $34,466
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#12

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, MI · Public

ROI proxy: 12.05
Net price: $10,775
Earnings 10y: $51,955
Acceptance: 72.1%

#13

Kirtland Community College

Grayling, MI · Public

ROI proxy: 12.01
Net price: $7,456
Earnings 10y: $35,831
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#14

Mid Michigan College

Harrison, MI · Public

ROI proxy: 11.15
Net price: $8,370
Earnings 10y: $37,319
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#15

Andrews University

Berrien Springs, MI · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 10.60
Net price: $12,547
Earnings 10y: $53,187
Acceptance: 81.9%

#16

Glen Oaks Community College

Centreville, MI · Public

ROI proxy: 10.52
Net price: $8,918
Earnings 10y: $37,540
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#17

Wayne County Community College District

Detroit, MI · Public

ROI proxy: 9.50
Net price: $7,656
Earnings 10y: $29,079
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#18

North Central Michigan College

Petoskey, MI · Public

ROI proxy: 9.07
Net price: $10,083
Earnings 10y: $36,594
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#19

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, MI · Public

ROI proxy: 8.77
Net price: $15,273
Earnings 10y: $53,562
Acceptance: 84.6%

#20

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI · Public

ROI proxy: 8.54
Net price: $19,680
Earnings 10y: $67,253
Acceptance: 84.8%

#21

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, MI · Public

ROI proxy: 8.40
Net price: $15,407
Earnings 10y: $51,793
Acceptance: 79.6%

#22

Siena Heights University

Adrian, MI · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 8.40
Net price: $17,124
Earnings 10y: $57,529
Acceptance: 68.9%

#23

Madonna University

Livonia, MI · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 8.32
Net price: $17,755
Earnings 10y: $59,058
Acceptance: 63.4%

#24

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, MI · Public

ROI proxy: 7.94
Net price: $17,597
Earnings 10y: $55,874
Acceptance: 89.8%

#25

Spring Arbor University

Spring Arbor, MI · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 6.68
Net price: $19,353
Earnings 10y: $51,732
Acceptance: 51.5%

How we picked this list

This list starts with Michigan schools reporting awards in Design and Applied Arts, excludes low-denominator, very small and incomplete records, then sorts by EduGradify's school-wide ROI proxy: ten-year median earnings weighed against average net price. The eligible set's average EduGradify ROI proxy is 12.52 (21 public, 4 private).

ROI lists require average net price of at least $4,600, enrollment of at least 500 and a reported graduation rate so unusually small denominators or incomplete records cannot dominate the public leaderboard.

Source transparency: every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard public data set. See our full methodology for the ROI formula, value grade rules and missing-data handling.

FAQ

Who leads this ranking?

Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek, MI tops this ranking. EduGradify value grade is A+.

How does EduGradify pick this list?

We rank this set by roi proxy using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — see our methodology for the full formula. No paid placements, no surveys.

How many Michigan colleges are in this list?

31 Michigan colleges qualified for this ranking based on available federal data.

What does net price mean here?

Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — not the sticker price. It is reported by each college to the U.S. Department of Education.

Can I use this ranking as a final college decision?

Use it as a shortlist, not a final decision. The ranking compares school-wide federal data; you should still confirm program fit, aid letters, graduation path, transfer policies and current costs with each college.