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Best Trade Programs in Michigan (2026)

Top 100 of 359 programs in Michigan · Updated 2026

The best trade school programs in Michigan, ranked by overall value. We scored 359 programs across Michigan trade schools on earnings, job demand, and tuition ROI. The top programs average $53,152/yr in graduate earnings.

Programs in MI

359

Avg Earnings (Top 100)

$53,152/yr

Avg TSW Score

76/100

#1 Program

Practical Nursing

Schoolcraft Community College District

Top Trade Programs in Michigan

Top 100 programs by TSW Score. Click any row for full analysis.

#	Program	TSW Score	Earnings	ROI
1	Practical Nursing Schoolcraft Community College District · Livonia, MI	88 86–89	$75,104/yr	167.8x
2	Criminal Justice Washtenaw Community College · Ann Arbor, MI	91 87–93	$67,732/yr	245.0x
3	Criminal Justice Grand Rapids Community College · Grand Rapids, MI	89 85–91	$59,278/yr	176.9x
4	Criminal Justice Northwestern Michigan College · Traverse City, MI	87 84–89	$61,054/yr	113.1x
5	Health Administration Ferris State University · Big Rapids, MI	80 75–82	$68,630/yr	49.4x
6	Business Administration Ferris State University · Big Rapids, MI	82 74–85	$54,060/yr	56.6x
7	Practical Nursing Gogebic Community College · Ironwood, MI	84 83–85	$62,799/yr	110.5x
8	Practical Nursing Muskegon Community College · Muskegon, MI	82 80–82	$60,995/yr	86.3x
9	Nursing Mott Community College · Flint, MI	86 80–86	$73,034/yr	93.9x
10	Practical Nursing Delta College · University Center, MI	83 81–84	$54,108/yr	126.0x
11	Vehicle Repair Technology Ferris State University · Big Rapids, MI	75 71–76	$68,791/yr	67.3x
12	Welding & Metalworking Ferris State University · Big Rapids, MI	68 67–69	$68,852/yr	56.3x
13	Nursing Henry Ford College · Dearborn, MI	87 81–87	$71,268/yr	109.1x
14	Nursing Jackson College · Jackson, MI	80 75–81	$75,953/yr	51.1x
15	Nursing Lake Michigan College · Benton Harbor, MI	83 77–83	$71,432/yr	70.9x
16	Nursing Mid Michigan College · Harrison, MI	83 77–83	$75,513/yr	61.1x
17	Criminal Justice Oakland Community College · Auburn Hills, MI	85 80–87	$51,827/yr	113.0x
18	Criminal Justice Schoolcraft Community College District · Livonia, MI	80 75–82	$49,224/yr	70.3x
19	Nursing Schoolcraft Community College District · Livonia, MI	85 80–86	$74,889/yr	83.2x
20	Nursing Delta College · University Center, MI	83 78–83	$67,922/yr	75.9x
21	Nursing Grand Rapids Community College · Grand Rapids, MI	85 80–85	$69,764/yr	85.9x
22	Nursing Kalamazoo Valley Community College · Kalamazoo, MI	84 79–85	$66,602/yr	88.9x
23	Nursing Kirtland Community College · Grayling, MI	82 77–82	$67,468/yr	69.8x
24	Nursing Lansing Community College · Lansing, MI	85 79–85	$69,093/yr	86.3x
25	Nursing Macomb Community College · Warren, MI	86 81–86	$69,619/yr	102.6x
26	Nursing Monroe County Community College · Monroe, MI	84 78–84	$69,336/yr	82.3x
27	Nursing Montcalm Community College · Sidney, MI	83 77–84	$68,396/yr	78.4x
28	Nursing Muskegon Community College · Muskegon, MI	78 73–78	$65,793/yr	51.8x
29	Nursing North Central Michigan College · Petoskey, MI	80 75–80	$65,070/yr	62.9x
30	Criminal Justice Northwestern Michigan College · Traverse City, MI	77 74–78	$52,976/yr	44.2x
31	Nursing Oakland Community College · Auburn Hills, MI	87 81–88	$68,856/yr	107.6x
32	Nursing St Clair County Community College · Port Huron, MI	83 77–83	$69,590/yr	72.3x
33	Practical Nursing St Clair County Community College · Port Huron, MI	82 79–82	$50,656/yr	112.9x
34	Nursing Washtenaw Community College · Ann Arbor, MI	88 82–88	$70,145/yr	133.1x
35	Nursing Wayne County Community College District · Detroit, MI	87 81–87	$67,080/yr	121.8x
36	Nursing West Shore Community College · Scottville, MI	83 77–83	$64,846/yr	70.9x
37	Criminal Justice Delta College · University Center, MI	74 71–76	$44,637/yr	49.9x
38	Nursing Glen Oaks Community College · Centreville, MI	83 78–83	$64,466/yr	79.4x
39	Nursing Gogebic Community College · Ironwood, MI	78 74–79	$62,485/yr	56.0x
40	Criminal Justice Grand Rapids Community College · Grand Rapids, MI	78 75–79	$48,049/yr	45.4x
41	Construction Management Technology Grand Rapids Community College · Grand Rapids, MI	75 74–76	$33,914/yr	66.3x
42	Business Administration Macomb Community College · Warren, MI	82 75–84	$43,491/yr	73.2x
43	Nursing Northwestern Michigan College · Traverse City, MI	80 75–80	$64,122/yr	61.6x
44	Nursing Southwestern Michigan College · Dowagiac, MI	81 74–81	$64,034/yr	64.8x
45	Culinary Arts Washtenaw Community College · Ann Arbor, MI	75 74–76	$33,382/yr	57.1x
46	Nursing Bay de Noc Community College · Escanaba, MI	78 71–79	$57,430/yr	59.3x
47	Practical Nursing Grand Rapids Community College · Grand Rapids, MI	81 79–82	$45,946/yr	134.6x
48	Business Administration Lansing Community College · Lansing, MI	78 73–80	$43,026/yr	48.6x
49	Electrical Installation Northern Michigan University · Marquette, MI	74 67–75	$53,242/yr	68.2x
50	Business Administration Washtenaw Community College · Ann Arbor, MI	85 76–87	$41,152/yr	109.1x
51	Human Development & Family Studies Ferris State University · Big Rapids, MI	73 69–75	$49,671/yr	44.0x
52	Welding & Metalworking Grand Rapids Community College · Grand Rapids, MI	66 66–67	$50,089/yr	60.7x
53	Business Administration Grand Rapids Community College · Grand Rapids, MI	77 72–79	$41,712/yr	45.7x
54	Business Operations Support Washtenaw Community College · Ann Arbor, MI	79 73–82	$46,821/yr	84.6x
55	Business Administration Henry Ford College · Dearborn, MI	77 71–79	$37,860/yr	60.3x
56	Business Macomb Community College · Warren, MI	79 70–81	$37,532/yr	74.2x
57	Practical Nursing Detroit Business Institute-Downriver · Riverview, MI	68 66–69	$52,535/yr	—
58	Culinary Arts Grand Rapids Community College · Grand Rapids, MI	72 71–73	$27,630/yr	67.1x
59	Heavy Equipment Technology Montcalm Community College · Sidney, MI	75 74–75	$66,358/yr	135.5x
60	Business Administration Oakland Community College · Auburn Hills, MI	79 70–82	$35,493/yr	85.6x
61	Practical Nursing Davenport University · Grand Rapids, MI	67 66–68	$55,249/yr	25.8x
62	Business Administration Delta College · University Center, MI	73 64–75	$33,957/yr	52.7x
63	Business Henry Ford College · Dearborn, MI	74 67–76	$34,003/yr	60.3x
64	Medical Assisting Muskegon Community College · Muskegon, MI	70 68–71	$58,377/yr	39.3x
65	Nursing Ross Medical Education Center-Brighton · Brighton, MI	72 65–72	$61,959/yr	—
66	Criminal Justice Ferris State University · Big Rapids, MI	68 63–70	$48,203/yr	22.0x
67	Welding & Metalworking Ferris State University · Big Rapids, MI	58 56–60	$56,811/yr	29.4x
68	Culinary Arts Grand Rapids Community College · Grand Rapids, MI	66 60–66	$24,473/yr	51.4x
69	Horticulture Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI	66 65–67	$42,513/yr	27.1x
70	Business Administration Schoolcraft Community College District · Livonia, MI	74 64–76	$33,086/yr	57.6x
71	Criminal Justice Mott Community College · Flint, MI	67 63–69	$34,127/yr	44.6x
72	Business Administration Mott Community College · Flint, MI	71 62–74	$31,303/yr	52.7x
73	Vehicle Repair Technology Grand Rapids Community College · Grand Rapids, MI	71 69–71	$37,927/yr	105.6x
74	Allied Health Professions Monroe County Community College · Monroe, MI	70 68–71	$63,378/yr	71.1x
75	Culinary Arts Schoolcraft Community College District · Livonia, MI	65 62–66	$27,248/yr	39.2x
76	Vehicle Repair Technology Washtenaw Community College · Ann Arbor, MI	66 66–67	$37,457/yr	67.5x
77	Medical Assisting Washtenaw Community College · Ann Arbor, MI	71 68–71	$39,704/yr	71.6x
78	Practical Nursing Ross Medical Education Center-Brighton · Brighton, MI	66 63–66	$44,383/yr	—
79	Truck Driving & CDL U.S. Truck Driver Training School · Sterling Heights, MI	64 63–65	$31,688/yr	—
80	Practical Nursing Ross Medical Education Center-Midland · Midland, MI	66 63–66	$44,383/yr	—
81	Human Resources Ferris State University · Big Rapids, MI	69 65–71	$53,029/yr	41.4x
82	Allied Health Professions Henry Ford College · Dearborn, MI	72 69–73	$58,792/yr	78.6x
83	Allied Health Professions Kirtland Community College · Grayling, MI	68 65–68	$58,850/yr	51.8x
84	Allied Health Professions Lake Michigan College · Benton Harbor, MI	67 64–67	$57,596/yr	53.8x
85	Criminal Justice Lake Superior State University · Sault Ste Marie, MI	67 61–68	$44,635/yr	20.9x
86	Allied Health Professions Lansing Community College · Lansing, MI	77 73–78	$62,717/yr	155.4x
87	Accounting Oakland Community College · Auburn Hills, MI	75 67–78	$40,424/yr	82.5x
88	Vehicle Repair Technology Baker College · Owosso, MI	61 59–61	$39,719/yr	38.1x
89	Allied Health Professions Mott Community College · Flint, MI	68 64–69	$53,532/yr	67.2x
90	Business Davenport University · Grand Rapids, MI	68 62–70	$49,530/yr	10.4x
91	Allied Health Professions Delta College · University Center, MI	66 64–67	$52,791/yr	52.5x
92	Industrial Production Technology Grand Rapids Community College · Grand Rapids, MI	76 73–77	$70,622/yr	173.0x
93	Electrical Installation Grand Rapids Community College · Grand Rapids, MI	72 68–73	$34,972/yr	117.8x
94	Criminal Justice Jackson College · Jackson, MI	66 63–67	$39,162/yr	26.8x
95	Allied Health Professions Kalamazoo Valley Community College · Kalamazoo, MI	70 66–71	$54,134/yr	77.6x
96	Business Administration Kalamazoo Valley Community College · Kalamazoo, MI	70 61–72	$29,315/yr	52.1x
97	Allied Health Professions Macomb Community College · Warren, MI	71 68–72	$57,326/yr	63.1x
98	Business Administration Mid Michigan College · Harrison, MI	69 62–71	$34,180/yr	37.2x
99	Culinary Arts Northwestern Michigan College · Traverse City, MI	64 59–64	$26,586/yr	35.1x
100	Fire Protection Oakland Community College · Auburn Hills, MI	76 72–77	$44,178/yr	145.3x

About This Ranking

What we ranked

Best Trades in Michigan ranks 100 programs across the United States by the TradeSchoolOutlook Score, which combines graduate earnings, return on investment, and job-market demand into a single 0-100 metric.

Data sources

Earnings figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, which tracks graduate income one and five years after program completion. Job-market projections use Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 employment data.

How to read the table

Use the sort controls below the headline to re-rank by earnings, ROI, or other metrics. Click any school name for full earnings projections, three-scenario modeling, and detailed program data. Most students attend a school within driving distance — local rankings are usually more actionable than national.

Caveats & limitations

Rankings reflect what the data can measure: post-graduation earnings, debt levels, and broad labor-market trends. They cannot capture program quality nuances like instructor expertise, hands-on equipment access, or industry connections. Treat rankings as a starting point — visit schools and talk to current students before committing.

Methodology

This ranking includes the top 100 trade programs at Michigan schools, drawn from 359 total programs with earnings data. Programs are ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score (0–100), which combines graduate earnings, job market demand, and tuition ROI.

Only in-state tuition is used for ROI calculations. Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best trade program in Michigan?

By TradeSchoolOutlook Score, Practical Nursing at Schoolcraft Community College District ranks #1 in Michigan with a score of 88/100 and graduate earnings of $75,104/yr.

How many trade programs are in Michigan?

Our database includes 359 trade programs across Michigan schools with reported earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education.

Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections). Last updated 2025.