The Detroit region is booming with higher education resources that feed the growing need for high-level talent. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, downtown Detroit experienced a 59 percent increase in the number of college-educated residents under the age of 35 in the last decade. The University Research Corridor – a partnership between the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Wayne State University – is the third highest spending “innovation cluster” in the United States, spending $1.9 billion on research and development in 2010 alone.
Much of this educational excellence is focused on technology. The University of Michigan ranks seventh among engineering/technology and computer science programs in the world. Michigan State University’s supply chain management program is ranked #1 for undergraduates and #2 for graduates.
To feed the talent pipeline, the Detroit region’s colleges and universities, such as the University of Michigan, Wayne State University, Lawrence Technological and others, rank in the top 10 for graduating students in each type of degree conferred. Detroit regional community colleges engage nearly 140,000 students and work with local companies to develop customized workforce training.
Public Colleges & Universities
The University of Michigan, founded in 1817, was the nation’s first state university and was recently ranked number 25 in U.S. News and World Report’s annual list of top universities.
Public College & Universities 2011 – 2012 Enrollment
| College/University | City | 2011-12 Enrollment |
| Eastern Michigan University | Ypsilanti | 23,341 |
| Central Michigan University | Mount Pleasant | 28,311 |
| Michigan State University | Lansing | 47,954 |
| Oakland University | Rochester | 19,379 |
| The University of Michigan/Ann Arbor | Ann Arbor | 42,716 |
| The University of Michigan/Dearborn | Dearborn | 8,955 |
| The University of Michigan/Flint | Flint | 8,262 |
| Wayne State University | Detroit | 30,765 |
Source: President’s Council State Universities of Michigan.
Private Colleges & Universities
Private Colleges and Universities 2011 – 2012 Enrollment
| College/University | City | 2011 Enrollment |
| Adrian College | Adrian | 1,670 |
| Baker College | Auburn Hills | 7,166 |
| College for Creative Studies | Detroit | 1,361 |
| Cleary University | Ypsilanti | 762 |
| Concordia College | Ann Arbor | 668 |
| Davenport University | Grand Rapids | 11,865 |
| DeVry University | Southfield | |
| International Academy of Design & Technology | Troy | |
| Kettering University | Flint | 2,187 |
| Lawrence Technological University | Southfield | 4,489 |
| Lewis College of Business | Detroit | |
| Madonna University | Livonia | 4,571 |
| Marygrove College | Detroit | 2,702 |
| Northwood University | Troy/Livonia/Macomb | |
| Olivet College | Olivet | 1,155 |
| Rochester College | Rochester Hills | 1,065 |
| Siena Heights University | Adrian | 2,408 |
| Spring Arbor University | Spring Arbor | 4,195 |
| Thomas M. Cooley Law School | Rochester Hills | 3,745 |
| University of Detroit Mercy | Detroit | 5,534 |
| University of Phoenix | Dearborn | |
| Walsh College | Troy | 3,221 |
Community Colleges
If you are thinking about a career in manufacturing, you will find that many of the community colleges in the Detroit region offer just the program for you.
| College/University | City | 2011 Fall Enrollment |
| Henry Ford Community College | Dearborn | 17,650 |
| Macomb Community College | Warren | 23,969 |
| Monroe County Community College | Monroe | 4,440 |
| Mott Community College | Flint | 11,760 |
| Oakland Community College | Bloomfield Hills | 29,158 |
| St. Clair County Community College | Port Huron | 4,590 |
| Schoolcraft College | Livonia | 12,770 |
| Washtenaw Community College | Ann Arbor | 12,932 |
| Wayne County Community College District | Detroit | 20,440 |
Source: Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.
Degrees Conferred
Michigan ranks in the top 10 for every type of degree conferred with more than 112,000 degrees awarded for the 2009-2010 academic year.
2011 Degrees Conferred
| Associate’s | Bachelor’s | Master’s | Doctor’s/Professional | Total | |
| Architecture & related | 223 | 242 | 8 | 473 | |
| Biological & biomedical sciences | 5 | 747 | 216 | 114 | 1,082 |
| Business, management, marketing & related | 1,823 | 4,131 | 3,695 | 15 | 9,664 |
| Computer & information sciences | 702 | 704 | 435 | 5 | 1,846 |
| Engineering & engineering technicians | 920 | 2,348 | 1,813 | 252 | 5,333 |
| Health professions & related clinical sciences | 2,099 | 1,446 | 767 | 740 | 5,052 |
| Legal professions & studies | 99 | 47 | 53 | 1,263 | 1,462 |
| Mathematics & statistics | 5 | 209 | 111 | 14 | 339 |
| Physical sciences & science technicians | 4 | 179 | 124 | 85 | 389 |
| Total, all programs | 11,644 | 20,528 | 13,677 | 2,964 | 48,813 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics.
Vocational Training Providers
Vocational training institutes provide specific or technical training to students in order to prepare them for a particular career. The Detroit region’s strong manufacturing base necessitates the needs for many different vocational and technical education programs. There are more than 60 vocational training providers in the region, a few are provided below. They provide training from casino dealers to construction to advanced manufacturing.
Vocational Training Providers
