Best Art & Design Colleges in Michigan (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 17 schools in Michigan for Art & Design by the median earnings of Art & Design graduates four years after completing. Lawrence Technological University leads the list at $99,444.
Across the 8 schools with a reported completion median, earnings range from $99,444 to $28,816, with a median of $46,654. For 2 of the listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
12 of the schools are public and 5 are private nonprofit, a 71% public share. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ranks 16th on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally, and it also posts the highest six-year completion rate on the page at 93%. University of Michigan-Flint reports the lowest average net price at $7,007.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median Art & Design Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lawrence Technological University · Southfield, MI | $99,444 | $32,918 | $25,980 | 55.9% |
| Lawrence Technological University reports $99,444 in median earnings for its Art & Design graduates four years after completing, and ranks 1st on this list. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Design and Applied Arts (20 graduates) | |||||
| 2 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI | $55,365 | $13,138 | $1,043 | 15.6% |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor admits 16% of applicants and posts a six-year completion rate of 93%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (153 graduates), Film/Video and Photographic Arts (86 graduates), Music (83 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Fine and Studio Arts ($66,846), Film/Video and Photographic Arts ($57,059), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft ($45,888) | |||||
| 3 | College for Creative Studies · Detroit, MI | $53,407 | $34,617 | $30,267 | 91.9% |
| College for Creative Studies carries an average net price of $34,617 and ranks 1442nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Design and Applied Arts (86 graduates), Film/Video and Photographic Arts (13 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (10 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Design and Applied Arts ($61,222), Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry ($41,739), Film/Video and Photographic Arts ($35,797) | |||||
| 4 | Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI | $51,055 | $19,680 | $7,068 | 84.8% |
| Michigan State University shows median earnings of $51,055 for its Art & Design graduates four years after completing, alongside a six-year completion rate of 81%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Design and Applied Arts (98 graduates), Music (56 graduates), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (31 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Design and Applied Arts ($53,250), Music ($52,132), Fine and Studio Arts ($50,098) | |||||
| 5 | Ferris State University · Big Rapids, MI | $49,443 | $8,624 | $2,556 | 91.4% |
| Ferris State University posts an average net price of $2,556 for families earning under $30,000 and admits 91% of applicants. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Design and Applied Arts (101 graduates), Film/Video and Photographic Arts (14 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (11 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Design and Applied Arts ($50,658), Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management ($48,367), Fine and Studio Arts ($39,165) | |||||
| 6 | Central Michigan University · Mount Pleasant, MI | $48,085 | $17,597 | $12,185 | 89.8% |
| Central Michigan University reports $48,085 in median earnings for its Art & Design graduates four years after completing, and ranks 414th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Design and Applied Arts (55 graduates), Music (22 graduates), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (19 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Design and Applied Arts ($54,254), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft ($43,916), Music ($43,089) | |||||
| 7 | Western Michigan University · Kalamazoo, MI | $45,223 | $15,273 | $5,263 | 84.6% |
| Western Michigan University admits 85% of applicants and lists an average net price of $15,273. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Music (68 graduates), Design and Applied Arts (64 graduates), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (37 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Design and Applied Arts ($58,634), Film/Video and Photographic Arts ($45,391), Dance ($45,108) | |||||
| 8 | Oakland University · Rochester Hills, MI | $43,989 | $9,120 | $4,422 | 87.8% |
| Oakland University graduates 58% of its students within six years and carries an average net price of $4,422 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Design and Applied Arts (61 graduates), Film/Video and Photographic Arts (24 graduates), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (17 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Design and Applied Arts ($47,432), Fine and Studio Arts ($44,270), Film/Video and Photographic Arts ($43,186) | |||||
| 9 | Saginaw Valley State University · University Center, MI | $41,999 | $10,775 | $9,844 | 72.1% |
| Saginaw Valley State University reports $41,999 in median earnings for its Art & Design graduates four years after completing, and ranks 9th on this list. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Design and Applied Arts (32 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (16 graduates), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (10 graduates) | |||||
| 10 | Grand Valley State University · Allendale, MI | $39,190 | $16,317 | $12,272 | 83.0% |
| Grand Valley State University posts a six-year completion rate of 67% and ranks 210th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Film/Video and Photographic Arts (79 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (51 graduates), Music (24 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Music ($49,111), Fine and Studio Arts ($39,307), Film/Video and Photographic Arts ($39,082) | |||||
| 11 | Wayne State University · Detroit, MI | $38,349 | $12,766 | $11,090 | 81.2% |
| Wayne State University admits 81% of applicants and lists an average net price of $12,766. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (53 graduates), Music (47 graduates), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (34 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Music ($50,340), Fine and Studio Arts ($39,271), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft ($32,525) | |||||
| 12 | Eastern Michigan University · Ypsilanti, MI | $38,153 | $15,407 | $13,250 | 79.6% |
| Eastern Michigan University graduates 46% of its students within six years and carries an average net price of $13,250 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Design and Applied Arts (65 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (41 graduates), Music (19 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Film/Video and Photographic Arts ($49,388), Fine and Studio Arts ($41,225) | |||||
| 13 | Northern Michigan University · Marquette, MI | $32,761 | $14,085 | $7,697 | 84.0% |
| Northern Michigan University, a public university in Marquette, admits 84% of applicants and posts a six-year completion rate of 52%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (57 graduates), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (10 graduates), Film/Video and Photographic Arts (7 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Fine and Studio Arts ($36,228) | |||||
| 14 | University of Michigan-Flint · Flint, MI | $29,685 | $7,007 | $1,517 | 70.5% |
| University of Michigan-Flint reports median earnings of $29,685 for its Art & Design graduates two years after completing, alongside an average net price of $7,007. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Design and Applied Arts (9 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (8 graduates) | |||||
| 15 | Aquinas College · Grand Rapids, MI | $28,816 | $16,626 | $10,725 | 89.9% |
| Aquinas College ranks 15th on this list, with a six-year completion rate of 65% and an admission rate of 90%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (6 graduates) | |||||
| 16 | Hope College · Holland, MI | $24,051 | $27,182 | $17,606 | 79.2% |
| Hope College posts an average net price of $27,182 and graduates 80% of its students within six years. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Dance (8 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (7 graduates) | |||||
| 17 | Calvin University · Grand Rapids, MI | $21,824 | $22,992 | $19,281 | 70.9% |
| Calvin University ranks 1140th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its six-year completion rate is 74%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (10 graduates), Design and Applied Arts (9 graduates), Film/Video and Photographic Arts (7 graduates) | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by the median earnings of their Art & Design graduates four years after completing, or two years for programs that report only a two-year figure, highest first. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled after completing. For 2 of the 17 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The figures cited on this page cover the 8 schools with a reported completion median. The spread from Lawrence Technological University to the bottom of the list is $70,628.