Best Online Colleges in Michigan

Benefits of Studying Online in Michigan

Nicknamed the Wolverine State and The Great Lakes State, Michigan has just over 10 million people. Ranked as the 10th largest state in the US overall, Michigan has the 11th largest area (totaling nearly 97,000 square miles). It's capitol, Lansing, isn't nearly as big as its biggest city, Detroit. Nonetheless, it's become a tech hub in recent years and its well-rounded economy leaves plenty of job openings for new graduates.

Employment Stats

As of October 2022, the Wolverine State had 4,370,700 non-farm employees (the 10th most of any state), accounting for just 2.85% of the nation’s workforce. This is slightly up from the year prior (2021), when the Wolverine State recorded close to 4.3 million workers. At the same time, just under 114,000 jobs were added since 2021, bringing Michigan’s total employed to 4,370,700. This increase of 2.67% makes Michigan the 33th fastest growing state from the standpoint of jobs added year over year. In terms of gross opportunities, Michigan is actually 2.4 million above the median state (it has 121% more people employed than the median state).

Michigan just beat out New Jersey for the 10th spot (by just under 3%, 123k to be precise). That being said, it still sits a whopping 75% short of the nation leader (California), which shouldn’t come as a surprise given that Michigan accounts for just 3.0% of the nation’s population. Also, of the 9 states with a higher ranking than Michigan, North Carolina just edged out for #9, recording a total employed workforce of 4,827,000 at the end of 2022, that’s 457,000 more than Michigan (-9.5%).

Job Opportunities

As one of the nation's largest employers, Michigan also has numerous occupation types to choose from (although the many employed persons are in the manufacturing industry). The state sits slightly above the national median of 722 occupations, with 770 job types available in Michigan, granting it a 6.6% advantage over the median. This means there’s a number of additional occupations compared to the average state, making it an excellent destination for recent graduates.

Michigan is home to several large universities, the highest ranked of which is the University of Michigan, located just outside of Detroit. The university has a massive student population of nearly 50,000 and offers a ton of different degree paths, from engineering to music. Other vibrant academic institutions include Michigan State University, Wayne State University and the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The state is also home to several Fortune 500 companies, including DowDuPont, Whirlpool and General Motors.

*All data sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2023)