Michigan Public Colleges Ranked by Lowest Acceptance Rate

Below is a ranking of the 15 public colleges in Michigan with the lowest acceptance rate for freshman undergraduate applications. University of Michigan Ann Arbor leads the list by accepting 16% of high school students that applied.

Acceptance rate is a measure of the competitiveness of a school. Lower acceptance rates are more competitive and may require a higher GPA, SAT/ACT score, and other factors to be considered for admission.

List of Michigan Public Colleges Ranked by Lowest Acceptance Rate
College Acceptance Rate

Ann Arbor, Michigan

16%

Dearborn, Michigan

56%
70%

University Center, Michigan

72%

Ypsilanti, Michigan

80%

Detroit, Michigan

81%

Allendale, Michigan

83%

Marquette, Michigan

84%

East Lansing, Michigan

85%

Kalamazoo, Michigan

85%

Rochester Hills, Michigan

88%

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

90%

Big Rapids, Michigan

91%
92%

Sault Ste Marie, Michigan

100%

This list is updated annually based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Last updated: March 15, 2026

Data source: IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2024/2025 - National Center for Education Statistics.