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 | 23993 | 63721 |
#1
Hillsdale College
|
| 2 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 34454 | 15.64 | 1,370 – 1,530 | 17574 | 73762 |
#2
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
|
| 3 | Sacred Heart Major Seminary | 188 | 100 | 1,080 – 1,240 | 6928 | 63721 |
#3
Sacred Heart Major Seminary
|
| 4 | Hope College | 3395 | 79.24 | 1,130 – 1,360 | 30700 | 49727 |
Hope College
|
| 5 | Kalamazoo College | 1166 | 75.32 | 1,140 – 1,370 | 26956 | 46137 |
Kalamazoo College
|
| 6 | Michigan State University | 41234 | 84.8 | 1,190 – 1,370 | 23657 | 55084 |
Michigan State University
|
| 7 | Calvin University | 3356 | 70.91 | 1,110 – 1,340 | 25231 | 48039 |
#7
Calvin University
|
| 8 | Alma College | 1159 | 57.03 | 1,040 – 1,230 | 22094 | 45720 |
Alma College
|
| 9 | University of Detroit Mercy | 3422 | 75.42 | 1,040 – 1,270 | 16790 | 64534 |
University of Detroit Mercy
|
| 10 | Michigan Technological University | 6013 | 92.43 | 1,150 – 1,370 | 16879 | 69672 |
Michigan Technological University
|
| 11 | Andrews University | 1384 | 81.85 | 1,020 – 1,270 | 24728 | 43254 |
Andrews University
|
| 12 | College for Creative Studies | 1376 | 91.94 | 990 – 1,210 | 36055 | 33691 |
College for Creative Studies
|
| 13 | Kettering University | 1212 | 78.67 | 1,180 – 1,340 | 35609 | 80275 |
Kettering University
|
| 14 | Madonna University | 1828 | 63.39 | 880 – 1,080 | 18373 | 49871 |
Madonna University
|
| 15 | Grand Valley State University | 19002 | 83.02 | 960 – 1,210 | 17198 | 47840 |
Grand Valley State University
|
| 16 | Albion College | 1308 | 80.7 | 950 – 1,180 | 16719 | 48203 |
Albion College
|
| 17 | Northwood University | 2045 | 64.51 | 950 – 1,160 | 25549 | 54058 |
Northwood University
|
| 18 | Wayne State University | 16012 | 81.16 | 1,070 – 1,280 | 14416 | 45207 |
Wayne State University
|
| 19 | Lake Superior State University | 1551 | 68.01 | 1,010 – 1,230 | 12339 | 42767 |
Lake Superior State University
|
| 20 | Aquinas College | 1088 | 89.88 | 920 – 1,150 | 18018 | 40161 |
Aquinas College
|
| 21 | University of Michigan-Dearborn | 6187 | 55.61 | 1,000 – 1,260 | 11521 | 50389 |
University of Michigan-Dearborn
|
| 22 | Western Michigan University | 13027 | 84.6 | 1,000 – 1,230 | 17331 | 45356 |
Western Michigan University
|
| 23 | Central Michigan University | 10193 | 89.82 | 980 – 1,210 | 17575 | 46567 |
Central Michigan University
|
| 24 | Spring Arbor University | 1139 | 51.52 | 1,010 – 1,240 | 21067 | 45592 |
#24
Spring Arbor University
|
| 25 | Lawrence Technological University | 2579 | 55.9 | 1,040 – 1,280 | 34083 | 58827 |
Lawrence Technological University
|
| 26 | Oakland University | 12587 | 87.84 | 1,030 – 1,230 | 12208 | 49017 |
Oakland University
|
| 27 | Northern Michigan University | 6684 | 84.02 | 990 – 1,210 | 15707 | 37996 |
Northern Michigan University
|
| 28 | Ferris State University | 8991 | 91.39 | 900 – 1,130 | 10825 | 47339 |
Ferris State University
|
| 29 | Concordia University Ann Arbor | 755 | 69.25 | 1,010 – 1,340 | 31080 | 49761 |
Concordia University Ann Arbor
|
| 30 | Adrian College | 1673 | 72.53 | 920 – 1,170 | 25922 | 42805 |
Adrian College
|
| 31 | Cleary University | 769 | 67.54 | 950 – 1,170 | 23705 | 55077 |
Cleary University
|
| 32 | Grace Christian University | 928 | 99.16 | 970 – 1,180 | 13275 | 31450 |
Grace Christian University
|
| 33 | Northwestern Michigan College | 3253 | 0 | -- | 7427 | 34918 | |
| 34 | Eastern Michigan University | 10470 | 79.64 | 930 – 1,180 | 15742 | 43148 |
Eastern Michigan University
|
| 35 | Saginaw Valley State University | 6135 | 72.07 | 930 – 1,180 | 11546 | 43530 |
Saginaw Valley State University
|
| 36 | University of Michigan-Flint | 5011 | 70.46 | 980 – 1,240 | 7852 | 45453 |
University of Michigan-Flint
|
| 37 | The University of Olivet | 932 | 83.25 | 920 – 1,130 | 19362 | 42637 |
The University of Olivet
|
| 38 | Rochester Christian University | 1161 | 97.65 | 860 – 1,080 | 21611 | 40813 |
#38
Rochester Christian University
|
| 39 | Kuyper College | 161 | 69.1 | 940 – 1,170 | 17669 | 33956 |
#39
Kuyper College
|
| 40 | Cornerstone University | 1354 | 77.77 | 1,000 – 1,220 | 21335 | 42598 |
#40
Cornerstone University
|
| 41 | Great Lakes Christian College | 210 | 0 | -- | 16406 | 28240 | |
| 42 | Davenport University | 3741 | 97.84 | -- | 18538 | 47041 |
#42
Davenport University
|
| 43 | Baker College | 3595 | 81.87 | 960 – 1,160 | 13616 | 33619 |
#43
Baker College
|
| 44 | Jackson College | 5086 | 0 | -- | 8271 | 59423 |
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.