These Michigan College Towns Rank Among the Best in the Nation

Michigan is home to nearly 100 institutions of higher education, ranging from community colleges to full-fledged 4-year (and beyond) universities. But just off-campus, what college towns and cities rank among the best ones for affordability, opportunity, and just "stuff to do"?

READ MORE: These 25 Michigan Cities Are Drowning in Student Loan Debt

The personal finance website WalletHub has released its annual list of the "Best College Towns in America", and it's no surprise to find several Michigan entries on the list. What may surprise you, however, is which cities land where.

How WalletHub Ranks the Best College Towns

In order to determine which college towns or cities ranked higher or lower than others, WalletHub took a three-pronged approach. Researchers focused most on the academic and/or economic opportunities each town or city presents for those who go to school there—things like the quality of the education offered by its colleges, its entrepreneurial activity, and expected post-graduation earnings for those who stay local.

What Makes a Great College Town?

Tuition costs were taken into account, along with rent rates, typical student loan debt and the cost of living there. Researchers also considered each town or city's social environment, including how much of its population is comprised of students and younger adults, its crime rates, and the general availability of "things to do"—measured by the numbers of nightspots, breweries, cafes, food trucks, fitness clubs, etc.

Get our free mobile app

After crunching the data for hundreds of American cities and towns that are home to at least one college or university, here are the 7 Michigan places that WalletHub says are among the nation's best.