Online Degrees In Michigan (MI)

Why Earn an Online Degree in Michigan?

The current education levels of Michigan’s workforce have yet to align with industry’s expanding demand for college graduates. This presents an array of opportunities and incentives for students to earn a degree and seek employment in the state. In fact, so great is the need in Michigan for more people with a postsecondary credential that the state is working toward attracting people not only from within the state but outside Michigan as well to meet the workforce gap.

With only 38 percent of working-age Michiganders holding an associate degree or higher (Lumina Foundation, 2017), the state has set a goal to increase the percentage of people holding a college credential to 60 percent by 2025.A Georgetown University 2013 report indicates that by 2020, in Michigan:

• 70 percent of all jobs will require postsecondary education
• 37 percent of all jobs will require some college, an associate degree or a postsecondary vocational certificate
• 22 percent of all jobs will require a bachelor’s degree
• 11 percent of all jobs will require a master’s degree

This means that by 2020 the state’s workforce would require:

• 150,000 people with an associate degree
• 339,000 people with a bachelor’s degree
• 184,000 people with a master’s degree

Not only would an increased level of educational attainment benefit Michigan employers, those new college graduates can look forward to higher salaries that come with a postsecondary credential. According to a 2017 article in USAToday, on average a college graduate can expect to earn 56 percent more than a high school graduate. The article goes on to cite other benefits that typically come with a college degree such as being able to afford owning a house, having retirement security and increased job opportunities in a nation-wide job market. And for those who’d prefer to enjoy these benefits with a life partner, the report also cites that college graduates are more likely to get married.

Top Online Colleges in Michigan

Retrieving data from the National Center for Education Statistics, we established a ranking methodology based on criteria we believe are specifically helpful to prospective online students.

The following list of top Michigan colleges that offer online degree programs has taken into consideration factors like accreditation, tuition and fees, percent of graduates awarded financial aid and the average amount of aid received along with graduation rates for each. For a more complete list of factors, check out our methodology below.

Top Online Degree Programs in Michigan

Based on information by the Integrated Postsecondary Education System (IPEDS), take a look at the most popular online degree programs in Michigan. Popularity of degree programs is usually an indication that these degrees are in good demand in Michigan’s job market.

Quality of Online Education in Michigan

The quality of an online degree program can vary dramatically and the choice you make can have an impact on your career and earning capacity. It is important that you choose a quality online degree program that earns you a marketable postsecondary credential.

Many colleges in Michigan are subscribers of the program Quality Matters, an assurance system designed to certify the quality of online and blended courses. The program gives teachers and educators of participating colleges access to resources that can help them design high-quality online courses for students. Michigan State University (MSU) and Northwood University – Michigan are two such examples.

Prospective students may want to look for online programs offered by colleges that are participants of SARA. According to the annual Distance Learning Administrator Surveys conducted by Michigan Colleges Online, 44 percent of the state’s online institutes are participants of SARA. The State Authorization of Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) is a national initiative that standardizes the quality of online programs across the country.

Other indicators of quality online degree programs in Michigan include those offered by schools that are accredited. Accredited programs are regularly evaluated by an external, unbiased agency and are expected to meet and maintain quality standards of education. To name a few, look for accrediting bodies such as:

• The American Bar Association
• Higher Learning Commission, Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• The National League for Nursing
• The National Association of Schools of Music

State Efforts to Advance Student Success

The Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) continuously monitors college access and success data to measure the outcome of goals set and to improve upon them. These efforts apply to improving the quality of both on-campus and online degree programs in Michigan. MCAN has mobilized local community leaders to work toward the single goal of providing high-quality post-secondary education to everyone “particularly among low-income students, first-generation college-going students, and students of color.”

The state has a strong infrastructure in place for those who want to pursue online degree programs in Michigan, including a virtual learning collaborative for community college students. Michigan CollegesOnline serves as a one-stop-shop for students who wish to pursue distance education and learn more about the various online degree programs offered in any one of their 28 colleges spread across the state of Michigan. Their unified, online portal consolidates all the online programs from each of its member colleges and provides a single platform to initiate the enrollment process.

The Michigan Association of State Universities (MASU) and the Michigan Community College Association (MCCA) have collaborated together to advance student success (both campus and distance education students). These are just a few of the initiatives they have taken:

• Career and College Readiness Standards – this is a series of efforts to help prepare high school students for college and a career. It focuses on improving skills in reading, writing, speaking/listening, research/inquiry and more.
• Coalition of Michigan Veterans Educators – this consortium seeks to help student veterans, military service members and their families find the support they need to earn a postsecondary credential through Michigan’s colleges and universities that would lead to gainful employment.
• Math Pathways to Completion Initiative – this was developed to increase the success of underprepared students and to promote credential completion. The goal is also to enhance course transferability and implement math pathways that are designed to meet the educational goals of Michigan students.
• Michigan Transfer Network – this is a unified online portal to view transfer course equivalencies across Michigan’s postsecondary institutions.

What to Look for in Online Degree Programs in Michigan

Online education isn’t perfect, and some online schools certainly do a better job than others. That’s why students who choose to earn a degree online should select their degree program carefully, says online educator Rod Sullivan, who earned his LL.M. from Georgetown University Law Center. According to Sullivan, students should look for online programs that have some interactive feature – things like message boards, group chats, or online forums.

“The quality of the program is really in the interaction with the professor and the other students,” Sullivan says. “Without interaction, the program can be dull and students can feel like they are alone and isolated.”

But online education shouldn’t be that way. According to Sullivan online degree programs just have to look for new ways to engage their students. “You make up for the loss of that [in-person] give-and-take in a number of ways. Online lectures should always be well-planned, usually by PowerPoint, and are succinct,” he notes. “You lose intimacy, but you gain directness.”

While the process isn’t always perfect, schools that “get online education right” do have a lot to offer students, especially working adults. And in many cases, the benefits far outweigh the cons. According to Sullivan, online education should definitely be considered by students who want a specialized education and those who work full-time or have family obligations.

Top Occupations in Michigan

Business leaders are increasingly looking at Michigan as a great place to grow a business, according to a 2018 report by the Michigan Economic Outlook. Between 2014 and 2024, the Michigan Bureau of Labor Market expects the workforce to increase by 7.4 percent in all occupations.

Based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this list of top occupations (based on the number of people employed in them), along with the average salary for each, may give you something to think about, in terms of career choices you may want to consider.

Top Metropolitan Areas in Michigan

Here’s a look at the fastest-growing industries in the state’s metro areas:

Ann Arbor: This metropolitan area has the lowest unemployment rate in the state as of June 2019 at 3.3 percent. In fact, the CNBC reports that Grand Rapids is the second largest met area in the nation in terms of hiring plans. The most common jobs in the region currently are in office and administrative support occupations, production occupations, and sales related occupations.

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn: The Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metropolitan area is experiencing a job growth especially in the professional, scientific, and technical services sector. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the leisure and hospitality industry added the largest number of jobs from June 2018 to 2019. With property values lower than the rest of the nation and home ownership rates higher than the rest of the nation, Detroit may be a place to consider when starting off your career.

Grand Rapids-Wyoming: This metropolitan area has the lowest unemployment rate in the state as of June 2019 at 3.3 percent. In fact, the CNBC reports that Grand Rapids is the second largest met area in the nation in terms of hiring plans. The most common jobs in the region currently are in office and administrative support occupations, production occupations, and sales related occupations.

Scholarships and Financial Aid in Michigan

Federal aid may be available to you depending on your specific circumstances and how well you qualify. Once you’ve narrowed down your list of schools, fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA form. Types of federal aid can include Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants, Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grants, and Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants.

Beyond federal aid, plenty of other options may be available to Michigan students who qualify, such as the Michigan Tuition Grant, as well as the following scholarships:

• The Grand Rapids Combined Theatre Scholarship
• The Warner, Norcross and Judd L.L.P. Legal Studies Scholarship for Minorities
• Fostering Futures Scholarship
• Michigan Competitive Scholarship
• Kalamazoo Promise Scholarship
• Michigan Competitive Scholarship
• Ann Arbor AWC Scholarship for Women in Computing
• GET-IT Student Scholarship

Obviously, these are just a handful of the many scholarships that may be available to students pursuing on-campus or distance learning in Michigan. Specific aid might be available from your school of choice, and additional scholarships could potentially become available depending on your chosen degree program. When in doubt, call your school to find out if any of these opportunities exist.

Scholarship Listing

This list provides additional information on scholarships and grants available to eligible Michigan students.

Tests You May Need to Take

The SAT or ACT with writing test scores are generally required during the admissions process. Admission requirement for graduate-level programs may include GMAT or GRE scores. Non-native speakers of English may be required to submit their test scores for any one of the following:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
• The Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB)
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

Some schools and colleges in Michigan may have additional application requirements, depending on the university and program you choose.

Explore online colleges in Michigan!