Best Digital Marketing Schools Near Traverse City, MI (2026)

Traverse City, Michigan is home to about 15,491 residents. Median household income is $71,731 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 47.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Traverse City, MI metro area, the top-earning digital marketing-related role is Marketing Managers at a median $137,590 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Digital Marketing Schools to Traverse City

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer digital marketing programs near Traverse City, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Traverse City city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Traverse City. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score β€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Northwood University

Midland, MI 101.8 miles from Traverse City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
62.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,075
Avg net price $27,232/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Cornerstone University

Grand Rapids, MI 122.6 miles from Traverse City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,314
Avg net price $20,301/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, MI 124.6 miles from Traverse City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,118
Avg net price $16,317/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 137

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Calvin University

Grand Rapids, MI 126.1 miles from Traverse City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
71.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,375
Avg net price $22,992/yr
Tuition
In‑state$39,350
Out‑of‑state$39,350
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 89

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI 150.6 miles from Traverse City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,253
Avg net price $19,680/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 230

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Northern Michigan University

Marquette, MI 152.1 miles from Traverse City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,107
Avg net price $14,085/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 122

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

University of Michigan-Flint

Flint, MI 153.2 miles from Traverse City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,230
Avg net price $7,007/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 80

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, MI 170.8 miles from Traverse City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,562
Avg net price $15,273/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 188

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Michigan schools on the Michigan digital marketing page.


Digital Marketing Wages Near Traverse City

Traverse City is part of the Traverse City, MI metro area (BLS area code 45900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Michigan statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Marketing Managers $137,590 Traverse City, MI $147,313
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $59,460 Traverse City, MI $63,662
Web and Digital Interface Designers $81,010 MI statewide $86,734
Advertising and Promotions Managers $101,610 MI statewide $108,790
Public Relations Specialists $61,760 Traverse City, MI $66,124
Writers and Authors N/A MI statewide
Advertising Sales Agents $49,200 Traverse City, MI $52,677
Web Developers $98,470 MI statewide $105,428

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Traverse City at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 15,491 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $71,731 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 47.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 93.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Traverse City-Area Cities With Digital Marketing Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying digital marketing roles near Traverse City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying digital marketing-related roles near Traverse City are: Marketing Managers ($137,590), Advertising and Promotions Managers ($101,610), Web Developers ($98,470). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Michigan statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Mount Pleasant instead of Traverse City?

Mount Pleasant, MI is 89.9 miles from Traverse City and has its own set of local digital marketing programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Traverse City an affordable place to study digital marketing?

Traverse City’s median household income of $71,731 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Traverse City while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Michigan public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Digital Marketing Programs

Other Programs Available in Traverse City

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Traverse City:

Data verified: September 7, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.