These Are Michigan's Most Liberal And Most Conservative Colleges

From progressive liberal arts campuses to faith-centered universities, Michigan colleges run the full political spectrum.

A new set of 2026 rankings from Niche highlights the most liberal and most conservative schools in the state, based on student surveys.

Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo was ranked the most liberal, while Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids topped the list of the most conservative.

Methodology

Niche’s rankings are based on self-reported student surveys of political leanings. For both lists, 80 percent of the weight comes from students reporting their personal political preferences, and 20 percent comes from students reporting the leanings of their campus community.

Most Liberal Colleges In Michigan (2026)

1. Kalamazoo College - Overall Niche Grade: B
2. University of Michigan Ann Arbor - Overall Niche Grade: A+
3. Eastern Michigan University - Overall Niche Grade: B-
4. Michigan State University - Overall Niche Grade: A
5. Central Michigan University - Overall Niche Grade: B

Most Conservative Colleges In Michigan (2026)

1. Cornerstone University - Overall Niche Grade: B-
2. Michigan Technological University - Overall Niche Grade: A
3. Sagniaw State University - Overall Niche Grade: B
4. Henry Ford College - Overall Niche Grade: C
5. Ferris State University - Overall Niche Grade: B

National rankings

Niche also released its 2026 rankings of the most liberal and conservative colleges in America.

Top five most liberal colleges in the U.S.:

1. American University (Washington, D.C.) — Overall Niche Grade: B+
2. University of Vermont (Burlington, VT) — Overall Niche Grade: B+
3. SUNY Purchase College (Purchase, NY) — Overall Niche Grade: C
4. George Washington University (Washington, D.C.) — Overall Niche Grade: A
5. Oberlin College (Oberlin, OH) — Overall Niche Grade: B+

Top five most conservative colleges in the U.S.:

1. Liberty University (Lynchburg, VA) — Overall Niche Grade: B+
2. Grove City College (Grove City, PA) — Overall Niche Grade: B-
3. Brigham Young University–Idaho (Rexburg, ID) — Overall Niche Grade: B
4. Colorado Christian University (Lakewood, CO) — Overall Niche Grade: B
5. Bob Jones University (Greenville, SC) — Overall Niche Grade: B

See the full rankings at Niche.