The cost of college in Michigan — and what it pays back
Across the 85 Michigan institutions we profile, the median net price — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — is $14,301/yr, $2,601 below the $16,902 national median. Graduates earn a median $41,596 ten years after entry (below the $43,549 national median), and 34 of the 85 schools clear their full cost on institution-wide earnings. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
How Michigan's 85 colleges split by ROI verdict
Verdicts: payback under 5 / 10 / 20 / over 20 years (or none).
| College | Net price/yr | Earnings 10y | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | $13,138 | $83,648 | 1.5 yrs |
| Michigan Technological University | $14,182 | $78,198 | 1.9 yrs |
| Chamberlain University-Michigan | $28,045 | $92,405 | 2.5 yrs |
| University of Detroit Mercy | $15,232 | $71,030 | 2.7 yrs |
| Kettering University | $34,660 | $94,823 | 3 yrs |
| College | Net price/yr | Earnings 10y | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Ford College | $660 | $34,795 | no payback |
| West Shore Community College | $1,527 | $36,115 | no payback |
| Macomb Community College | $1,618 | $41,596 | no payback |
| Schoolcraft Community College District | $2,260 | $42,722 | no payback |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | $2,979 | $38,618 | no payback |
How many Michigan colleges actually pay for themselves?
34 of 85 — 40% of the Michigan institutions we profile clear their full net cost on institution-wide earnings above the $48,360 high-school baseline. The rest need a high-paying major to pay off; the school average alone does not do it.
Do Michigan graduates out-earn the national median?
Michigan graduates report a median $41,596 ten years after entry, $1,953 below the $43,549 national median. Earnings track the local labour market and the mix of fields the state's colleges graduate, not the state border itself.