Leaders & Laggards

A State-by-State Report Card on Public Postsecondary Education

Michigan

Student Access & Success

Michigan’s four-year institutions receive a good grade in this area, ranking in the top 15 of all states in completion and retention rates. Michigan’s two-year institutions receive an average score, with a relatively high percentage of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants and retention rate offsetting a relatively low completion rate.

Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness

Michigan receives an average grade in this area for four-year institutions. Despite a cost per completion ($73,156) above the national median of $68,140, state and local funding per completion ($29,362) ranks in the top 10 states nationally. The state’s two-year institutions also receive a middling mark with a cost per completion ($57,585) and state and local funding per completion ($39,419) in the middle third of all states nationally.

Meeting Labor Market Demand

The median wage of a Michigan bachelor’s degree holder is approximately $22,400 (or 73%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate for a bachelor’s degree holder is almost 8 points lower. The median wage of an associate’s degree holder is approximately $10,200 (or 33%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate is about 6 points lower.

Transparency & Accountability

Michigan receives very low scores in this category. The state’s consumer information and public accountability resources do not contain information on student outcomes. The state neither tracks student labor market outcomes, nor does it measure student learning.

Policy Environment

Michigan receives a very low grade in this category. The state does not have a strategic plan for higher education, outcomes-based funding, or a statewide articulation and credit transfer agreement.

Innovation

The Michigan Community College Association’s Virtual Learning Collaborative enables students to take courses online from any participating community college while receiving student services and financial aid at their home campus. There is nothing comparable for four- year institutions. Regarding new providers, cross-border providers are unlikely to trigger the regulatory process, and licensure fees are low. Once triggered, the approval process is fairly burdensome.

Report Card

Compare with

Four-Year Institutions

MI Nat'l
Student Access & Success B
Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients 29.5 30.8
Retention Rate 81.2 77.9
Completion Rate 60.3 54.5
Completions per 100 FTE Students 20.3 19.7
Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) 4
Complete College America
Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness C
Cost Per Completion $73,156 $68,140
State and Local Funding Per Completion $29,362 $41,198
State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion $76,416 $76,932
Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined Measure (5-point scale) 3
Meeting Labor Market Demand A
BA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) $22,361 $17,881
BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) 173.3 156.0
BA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) $15,246 $12,703
BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) 160.0 149.9
BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) 7.8 4.0
BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) 2.3 2.1
BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) 13.1 7.1
BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) 3.3 2.9
Transparency & Accountability F
Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) 2
Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) 0
Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? false
Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) 0
Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? false
Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) 0

Two-Year Institutions

MI Nat'l
Student Access & Success C
Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients 60.9 46.9
Retention Rate 60.2 58.6
Completion Rate 14.7 20.5
Completions Per 100 FTE Undergraduates 15.8 16.8
Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) 2
Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness C
Cost Per Completion $57,585 $57,210
State and Local Funding Per Completion $39,419 $35,476
State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion $55,520 $52,512
Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined MeasureCombined Measure (5-point Scale) 3
Meeting Labor Market Demand A
AA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) $10,164 $8,545
AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) 133.3 126.1
AA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) $8,721 $6,595
AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) 134.3 125.0
AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) 5.7 2.7
AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) 1.7 1.5
AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) 10.2 4.9
AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) 2.19 1.84
Transparency & Accountability F
Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) 1
Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) 0
Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? false
Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) 0
Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? false
Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) 0

State

MI Nat'l
Policy Environment F
State Goals (6-point Scale) 0
Does the State Have Outcomes-Based Funding? false
Four-Year Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) 0
Two-Years Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) 0
Does the State Have a Credit Transfer Policy? false
Credit Transfer Policy (5-point Scale) 0
Innovation: Openness to Providers B
Numerical Openness to New Providers Grade 87%
Regulatory Jurisdiction 100%
Financial Burden 100%
Approval Process Burden 60%
Innovation: Online Learning D
Numerical Online Learning Grade 35.7
Online Learning Score (7-point Scale) 2.5

State Facts at a Glance

  • Number of Public Four-Year Institutions 15
  • Number of Public Two-Year Institutions 29
  • Number of Students Served by Public Four-Year Institutions 209198
  • Number of Students Served by Public Two-Year Institutions 183596
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