The Most Selective Colleges in Michigan
Every eligible Michigan four-year that reports an admission rate, ranked hardest to get into first and easiest last — not a prestige Top 25. Selectivity here is the published rate, not a magazine composite.
Ranked by acceptance rate · 39 of 57 Michigan institutions in this universe qualify for this ranking · Compiled 2026-09-01
- 1University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, MI · Public17.9%Compare nearby
- 2Hillsdale CollegeHillsdale, MI · Private20.6%Compare nearby
- 3Spring Arbor UniversitySpring Arbor, MI · Private37.3%Compare nearby
- 4Cleary UniversityHowell, MI · Private49.8%Compare nearby
- 5University of Michigan-DearbornDearborn, MI · Public58.6%Compare nearby
- 6Rochester UniversityRochester Hills, MI · Private65.3%Compare nearby
- 7Alma CollegeAlma, MI · Private65.7%Compare nearby
- 8Siena Heights UniversityAdrian, MI · Private66.6%Compare nearby
- 9Lake Superior State UniversitySault Ste Marie, MI · Public68.0%Compare nearby
- 10Adrian CollegeAdrian, MI · Private68.4%Compare nearby
- 11University of Michigan-FlintFlint, MI · Public68.8%Compare nearby
- 12Northern Michigan UniversityMarquette, MI · Public70.0%Compare nearby
- 13Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, MI · Public70.2%Compare nearby
- 14Aquinas CollegeGrand Rapids, MI · Private71.1%Compare nearby
- 15Calvin UniversityGrand Rapids, MI · Private71.3%Compare nearby
- 16Saginaw Valley State UniversityUniversity Center, MI · Public72.9%Compare nearby
- 17Cornerstone UniversityGrand Rapids, MI · Private73.2%Compare nearby
- 18Hope CollegeHolland, MI · Private75.8%Compare nearby
- 19Kalamazoo CollegeKalamazoo, MI · Private76.2%Compare nearby
- 20Kettering UniversityFlint, MI · Private79.1%Compare nearby
- 21University of Detroit MercyDetroit, MI · Private80.1%Compare nearby
- 22Lawrence Technological UniversitySouthfield, MI · Private80.3%Compare nearby
- 23Ferris State UniversityBig Rapids, MI · Public80.6%Compare nearby
- 24Eastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti, MI · Public81.3%Compare nearby
- 25Wayne State UniversityDetroit, MI · Public82.0%Compare nearby
- 26Albion CollegeAlbion, MI · Private83.2%Compare nearby
- 27Northwood UniversityMidland, MI · Private83.9%Compare nearby
- 28Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI · Public83.9%Compare nearby
- 29Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo, MI · Public84.7%Compare nearby
- 30Andrews UniversityBerrien Springs, MI · Private87.4%Compare nearby
- 31Baker CollegeOwosso, MI · Private87.5%Compare nearby
- 32Michigan Technological UniversityHoughton, MI · Public87.9%Compare nearby
- 33Central Michigan UniversityMount Pleasant, MI · Public91.0%Compare nearby
- 34College for Creative StudiesDetroit, MI · Private92.8%Compare nearby
- 35Madonna UniversityLivonia, MI · Private92.9%Compare nearby
- 36Grand Valley State UniversityAllendale, MI · Public94.7%Compare nearby
- 37Davenport UniversityGrand Rapids, MI · Private97.0%Compare nearby
- 38The University of OlivetOlivet, MI · Private97.1%Compare nearby
- 39Grace Christian UniversityWyoming, MI · Private99.3%Compare nearby
How this list was built
- Measure
- Acceptance rate — sorted lowest to highest
- Source variable
ADM_RATE- Dataset
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (05-19-2025 release)
- Michigan institutions in this universe (57 schools).
- Michigan four-year main campuses only. Rank order is published admission rate; on an exact tie, higher SAT average ranks above, and missing SAT does not drop a school. SAT is not shown because it is not the ranked measure. Schools without a published ADM_RATE are omitted rather than estimated.
- Institutions enrolling fewer than 500 undergraduates are excluded — the same size floor as the national selectivity list — even when they report an admission rate. That cut is not a median-stability adjustment.
- 39 of 57 Michigan institutions in this universe qualify for this ranking (report the measure and pass any enrollment floor); the rest are omitted rather than estimated.
A single measure is a narrow way to judge a college. Read this alongside the others, and see the methodology for what these figures do and do not capture.
Keep exploring
- Re-rank with your weightsRe-score with your weights, pre-filtered to MI
- Showdown: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor vs Hillsdale CollegeHigher-or-lower on Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Live leaderboardReshuffle Top 10–50 on one Scorecard measure
- Explore games & mapsShowdown, Name That College, sports, and more lists
- Sports at University of Michigan-Ann ArborEADA programs for the #1 school on this list
Keep going
The Most Selective Colleges in America
Lowest share of applicants admitted. Selectivity measures demand and class size, not teaching quality.
Colleges with the Highest SAT Averages
Average SAT score of enrolled students. Reported by fewer than half of institutions as test-optional admissions has spread.
Colleges That Admit Nearly Everyone
Open and near-open admission four-year institutions, ranked by the share of applicants accepted.