University of Michigan

A perennial top performer in Money’s rankings, Michigan shines in each of the three areas our team evaluates: Affordability? For in-state students, the price of a degree from Michigan is less than that of 600-some colleges in our rankings. Quality? At 93%, the university has one of the highest graduation rates in the country, and one of U-M's top annual awards recognizes faculty members committed to undergraduate teaching. Student outcomes? Graduates’ salaries are well above average, and the job placement rate is high. Michigan shines in other ways, too. The university’s Division I athletics are first-rate, and the Wolverines have notched more than 50 national championships. During home football games in the fall, hordes of student fans pack into “The Big House” to cheer their team on. Even U-M’s location is stellar. Ann Arbor is a quintessential college town, offering an impressive number of music venues, restaurants, museums and theaters. The result of all that excellence is a loud, proud community that, among other accolades, can claim an alumni association chapter on the moon. (The crew of Apollo 15, all U-M grads, established a club charter there in 1971.)