Best Pre-Med Schools In Michigan (Costs, Extracurriculars & Admission Info) [2021]

Premed Guide / By

Preparing yourself as early as you can is the key to getting accepted into med school.

If you’re based in Michigan (or interested in going to school there), choosing one of the best pre-med schools in the state can also help.

In this article we’ll cover:

  • The best pre-med schools in Michigan (based on reputation and alumni)
  • How important it is to attend a good pre-med school in the state
  • What pre-meds in Michigan can do to be more competitive

Being a med student myself, I know how valuable it can be to think about these things.

Getting into med school is tough, the right information can help give you a small advantage.

Ready to learn more? Let’s go!

Contents show

Before we get into the best pre-med schools in Michigan, you might be interested in what’s on offer in the surrounding states. Check out our guide; Best Pre-Med Schools in the USA for more information.

Best Pre-Med Schools In Michigan

University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

Location:Ann Arbor, MI
National University Rank:23
Average SAT score:1340-1560 (ACT 31-34)
Acceptance Rate:26%
Tuition:$16,178 (in-state)/$53,232 (out-of-state)
Private/Public:Public
Undergraduate Enrollment:31,329
Student-faculty ratio:14:1

University of Michigan’s Newnan Academic Advising Center is at the heart of its Pre-Health offerings.

Students hoping to attend here can expect possibly the best pre-med support in the state, evidenced by its consistent ranking as having “one of the best programs in the country.” (Source)

The school’s online Pre-Med Hub is full of stories, advice, and resources for students looking to level up their applications.

Here’s an excerpt from one of the blog posts there (this also sounds like a class you may want to take!)

Favorite class you took at Michigan: Psych 211 – this Project Outreach class allowed me to get involved in the community, playing music for residents of a memory care facility. The class not only exposed me to issues that the geriatric population face, especially individuals who suffer from memory impairing diseases, but also allowed me to gain some valuable community service experience. 

(Source)

Support aside, UMich also stacks up well in terms of the stats. Their acceptance rate into MD medical schools is 10% higher than the national average (45%), while their students also achieve above-average MCAT and GPA’s too (Source).

As far as extracurriculars go, the school has plenty to offer also. There are dedicated Pre-med organizations, fraternities, and in-hospital volunteering opportunities. And a local AMSA chapter.

Here’s a snapshot of how life is as a pre-med at the University of Michigan…

DETAILS

  • Name: University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
  • Location: 500 S. State St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109
  • Phone: 734-764-1817
  • Website: lsa.umich.edu/advising

Michigan State University

Location:East Lansing, MI
National University Rank:83
Average SAT score:1100-1300 (ACT 23-29)
Acceptance Rate:76%
Tuition:$14,460 (in-state)/$39,766 (out-of-state)
Private/Public:Public
Undergraduate Enrollment:38,491
Student-faculty ratio:16:1

Premedical isn’t a specific major at MSU but their preprofessional paths go a long way to helping interested students build any application.

MSU Pre-Health is the central advisory point, offering resources, support, and events to its student populace. Pre-health sessions can be booked virtually and there are also peer advisors (from upper-classes) on hand to help.

Students here can get involved with research projects at the College of Natural Science, the Undergraduate Research Forum, and via the career network service Handshake.

Past workshops offered by MSU Pre-Health include:

  • Human Biology & Pre-Health Webinar
  • Health Professions Panel
  • Interview Workshop

And more! Check out the event program here.

Of course, being a pre-med isn’t for everyone (it can be seriously tough).

To give you some honest insight into the challenges involved, as well as what life can be like as a pre-med at Michigan State, check out the following video…

DETAILS

  • Name: Michigan State University
  • Location: 426 Auditorium Road, East Lansing, MI 48824
  • Phone: 517-355-1855
  • Website: prehealth.natsci.msu.edu

Central Michigan University

Location:Mount Pleasant, MI
National University Rank:239
Average SAT score:1000-1210 (ACT 20-26)
Acceptance Rate:69%
Tuition:$13,538
Private/Public:Public
Undergraduate Enrollment:13,048
Student-faculty ratio:18:1

Central Michigan University is another top undergrad school in the state that has a good reputation as a feeder school for medical colleges.

CMU’s Pre-Medicine and Pre-Health Professions Advising Center supports students putting together competitive applications, assigning individuals to advisors every fall.

The school offers several Pre-Health Pathways where you’ll be free in your choice of major. You can find information on all individual Pathways (including medicine, dentistry, optometry, and pharmacy, here).

The school offers the following resources to help boost any application:

  • Pre – Medicine and Osteopathic Society
  • Phi Delta Epsilon (Honors Fraternity for Pre-Health Students)
  • Minority Association for Pre-Med Students (MAPS)
  • Pre-Physician Assistant Club

Its attachment to Central Michigan University’s College of Medicine also makes students perfectly placed for widening their extracurricular experience; especially clinical experience and research.

Here’s a snapshot of how dynamic extracurricular life can be at Central Michigan University. Their Pre-Med Club is definitely something you should consider joining if you’re interested in going to school here…

DETAILS

  • Name: Central Michigan University
  • Location: Warriner Hall, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859
  • Phone: 989-774-4000
  • Website: cmich.edu/Pre-Medicine

Northern Michigan University

Location:Marquette, MI
National University Rank:82 (Regional Universities Midwest)
Average SAT score:950-1180 (ACT 13-20)
Acceptance Rate:67%
Tuition: $11,680 (in-state)/$17,176 (out-of-state)
Private/Public:Public
Undergraduate Enrollment:6,734
Student-faculty ratio:20:1

Northern Michigan University’s (NMU) Pre-Medical program is an intensive one, designed to give students interested in medicine opportunities to fully explore the field.

The program is headed by Dr. Erich Ottem, a biology instructor, and the pre-professional program advisor.

NMU claims 92 percent of their premedical students applying to medical school are accepted (Source). Alumni have gone on to medical and dental careers at Cleveland Clinic, Medical University of South Carolina, University of Florida, and much more!

Although there’s no dedicated pre-med track, there are 180 academic majors to choose from.

Facilities at the school designed to help your application include:

  • Seaborg Science Complex (featuring state-of-the-art instructional equipment and labs)
  • Pre-Med Club (suture clinics, health fairs, practice MCAT tests)
  • MSU Early Assurance Program (partnership with Northern Michigan University to provide early selection for entry prioritizing students from under-served rural or urban areas, first-generation students and those from low-income backgrounds)

NMU is also excellent for other healthcare careers, specifically nursing.

The video below gives good insight into the quality of their facilities…

DETAILS

  • Name: Northern Michigan University
  • Location: 1401 Presque Isle Avenue, Marquette, MI 49855
  • Phone: 906-227-1000
  • Website: nmu.edu/premedical-program

Hillsdale College

Location:Hillsdale, MI
National University Rank:46 (National Liberal Arts Colleges)
Average SAT score:1290-1463 (ACT 29-33)
Acceptance Rate:36%
Tuition:$30,042
Private/Public:Private
Undergraduate Enrollment:1,466
Student-faculty ratio:9:1

Hillsdale College has one of the strongest reputations for health science subjects in Michigan, their pre-professional counselors doing an excellent job of preparing undergrads for health-based careers.

Tales of their alumni entering pre-med tracks, then gaining successful admission into both osteopathic and allopathic medical schools, are common. Popular majors include Biology, Biochemistry, and Chemistry.

Here’s Hillsdale’s pre-medicine offering in their own words…

As part of this program, you will receive continuous faculty advising tailored to your specific interests and goals, as well as access to an extensive array of medical school admissions preparation materials. Our Anatomy and Physiology classes give you experience working with cadavers, an opportunity not typically available to undergraduate students at many other institutions. We also partner with a number of local medical-care facilities to offer you the opportunity to gain volunteer experience working with doctors and nurses.

(Source)

Their Pre-professional Society is active, serving students specifically interested in careers in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, physical therapy and other Allied Health professions.

In 2018, they had 15 acceptances for medical schools out of 20 applicants (Source).

Hillsdale’s research opportunities are some of the best in-state. Check out this promo of the G.H. Gordon Biological Center. Working with the team here could look outstanding on any med school application…

DETAILS

  • Name: Hillsdale College
  • Location: 33 E. College Street, Hillsdale, MI 49242
  • Phone: 517-437-7341
  • Website: hillsdale.edu/pre-med

All admissions data is taken from the American Association of Medical Colleges (Source). Ranking data is taken from U.S. News.

Final Thoughts

There are several options to choose from when it comes to choosing alternative pre-med schools in Michigan.

Aside from the recommendations above, other schools that came up during my research, that also may be worth looking at, include:

Whichever major you choose, the connections, experiences, and opportunities at these colleges will give you all you need to help put together a competitive application.

You’ll still have to put in the time of course, but you’ll have lots of support to help you along the way.

Related Questions

Is It Important To Attend A Good Pre Med School In Michigan?

Having a reputable school on your med school application can look good. Performing well during undergrad, at any of the colleges recommended above, is a strong indicator you’ll fit in studying medicine.

How much an individual school actually contributes to your chances of becoming a doctor is open for debate, however.

The biggest factors, in terms of competitiveness, are your GPA score, your clinical experience (shadowing, working, etc), and extracurriculars, and how well you present yourself in application essays and interviews.

To say the strength of your candidacy comes solely down to where you studied for pre-med would be a stretch!

What College In Michigan Has The Best Medical Program?

The best medical school in Michigan, according to U.S. News Ranking (Source), is the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. You’ll need an average GPA of 3.78 and to be in the average MCAT percentile of 90.77 to compete for places.

Other high scoring med schools in the state include:

  1. Wayne State University
  2. Central Michigan University
  3. Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
  4. Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
  5. Oakland University
  6. Western Michigan University

How To Improve Your Medicine Application As A Pre-Med In School In Michigan

A great way to make your med school application as competitive as possible is through extracurriculars.

In Michigan, you have a lot of clinically relevant medical/hospital volunteering opportunities to take advantage of.

These positions are organized and very useful for obtaining letters of recommendation (LOR’s), shadowing, and other important networking connections.

You can also look into relevant pre-med jobs like scribing, EMT, and phlebotomy available in the state for extra clinical experience.

What Is The Hardest/Easiest College In Michigan To Get Into?

Based on the data above, Northern Michigan University appears easier to gain admission into as an undergrad. Their admission rate is the highest and their average SAT scores are lower than rival colleges in the state.

The University of Michigan – Ann Arbor is perhaps the most competitive college to matriculate in as a pre-med in Michigan.

What Major Should I Choose As A Pre-Med In Michigan?

The standard advice is to choose a major you feel you can do well in. Your GPA will be possibly the biggest differentiator between you and other pre-med candidates.

Related: What’s The Easiest Pre Med Major?

Here’s what you should consider:

  • How motivated you’ll be to study (choose something you’ll enjoy)
  • How “suitable” you are to the subject (maximize your chance of a high GPA)

If you did well in a particular subject in high school, or find something relatively easy to get good grades in, that could make for a good pick.

Something else to think about is the MCAT. Sometimes life science subjects can be a good fit as they’ll help you in the preparation for this key med school exam. They also may cover many of the prerequisites.

One thing is for sure though; you don’t need to be on a pre-med track at a Michigan-based college to get into med school. Your GPA, your MCAT, and your extracurriculars are what count!

If you found this article useful, make sure you check out the rest of our pre-med guides…