by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the graduate school options in Michigan, narrowing things down is no easy task. Our ranking highlights **12** graduate schools by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual analyzed 12 graduate schools on more than 20 objective measures such as graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, and per-student spending, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
The top-ranked graduate schools span the following early-career salary range:
Explore the leading graduate schools below:
Our analysis found University Of Michigan Ann Arbor to be the best graduate school in Michigan. This public school is set in Ann Arbor, MI. The six-year graduation rate is 93%. In-state tuition and fees average $18,848, with out-of-state students paying around $63,081. Graduates go on to earn a median of $66,254 early in their careers. Graduates carry a median of $19,137 in student loans.
Michigan State University came in at #2 on this year's Best Graduate Schools ranking in Michigan. Located in East Lansing, MI, Michigan State University is a public institution. About 81% of students finish within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,079, while out-of-state students pay about $44,850. Michigan State University graduates report median early-career earnings of $54,166. Students borrow a median of $25,213 to complete a degree here.
Michigan Technological University came in at #3 on this year's Best Graduate Schools ranking in Michigan. Michigan Technological University is a public school based in Houghton, MI. Michigan Technological University graduates 68% of students within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $20,532, with out-of-state students paying around $44,807. Early-career graduates earn a median of $64,652. Typical student debt is $25,800.
The strong outcomes at University Of Detroit Mercy earned it the #4 place in Michigan. University Of Detroit Mercy is a private not-for-profit school based in Detroit, MI. The six-year graduation rate is 67%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $32,946. Graduates go on to earn a median of $76,755 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $29,053 to complete a degree here.
Western Michigan University came in at #5 on this year's Best Graduate Schools ranking in Michigan. Western Michigan University is a public school based in Kalamazoo, MI. The six-year graduation rate is 58%. Students from in state pay about $15,987 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $19,952. Western Michigan University graduates report median early-career earnings of $48,966. Western Michigan University students take on a median of $27,981 in debt.
Oakland University placed #6 among the best graduate schools in Michigan. Based in Rochester Hills, MI, Oakland University is a public institution. Oakland University posts a six-year graduation rate of 58%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,167, compared with $24,735 for out-of-state students. Early-career graduates earn a median of $54,785. The median student debt is $25,972.
Central Michigan University landed the #7 spot in Michigan this year. Set in Mount Pleasant, MI, Central Michigan University is a public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 59%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,480. Graduates go on to earn a median of $50,688 early in their careers. Graduates carry a median of $27,857 in student loans.
Andrews University ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best graduate schools. This private not-for-profit school is set in Berrien Springs, MI. Andrews University posts a six-year graduation rate of 72%. In-state tuition and fees average $35,056. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $62,634. Students borrow a median of $26,314 to complete a degree here.
University Of Michigan Dearborn did well this year, earning the #9 position. Set in Dearborn, MI, University Of Michigan Dearborn is a public institution. Roughly 58% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees run about $15,640, compared with $32,896 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $62,536 early in their careers. The median student debt is $26,516.
Wayne State University ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best graduate schools. This public school is set in Detroit, MI. Roughly 58% of students complete a degree within six years here. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,159, compared with $34,650 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $55,469 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $26,689 to complete a degree here.
Ferris State University did well this year, earning the #11 position. Located in Big Rapids, MI, Ferris State University is a public institution. Ferris State University posts a six-year graduation rate of 56%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,778. Ferris State University graduates report median early-career earnings of $54,608. Students borrow a median of $23,562 to complete a degree here.
Eastern Michigan University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Located in Ypsilanti, MI, Eastern Michigan University is a public institution. About 46% of students finish within six years. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,990. Median early-career earnings reach $47,887. Typical student debt is $28,781.
Baker College Of Flint did well this year, earning the #13 position. Located in Owosso, MI, Baker College Of Flint is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 30% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees average $13,000. Median early-career earnings reach $46,774. Baker College Of Flint students take on a median of $30,688 in debt.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked graduate schools only.
These rankings are produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Rankings consider a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and per-student spending drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
References
See our data sources and methodologies.