Best Online Education Programs in Grand Rapids, MI (2026)

Grand Rapids, Michigan has 4 accredited schools offering education programs, with tuition ranging from $15,298 to $28,655 per year for indexed programs. Grand Rapids has a population of about 197,768. Median household income is $65,526 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 40.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area, the top-earning education-related role is Education Administrator, K-12 at a median $101,680 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Education Schools to Grand Rapids

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer education programs near Grand Rapids, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Grand Rapids 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 Grand Rapids. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Grand Rapids Community College

Grand Rapids, MI 0.6 miles from Grand Rapids BOC Score 41.4
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,377
Avg net price $8,621/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Aquinas College

Grand Rapids, MI 1.3 miles from Grand Rapids BOC Score 46.8
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 90%
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,584
Avg net price $16,626/yr
Tuition
In‑state$40,218
Out‑of‑state$40,218
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Cornerstone University

Grand Rapids, MI 3.4 miles from Grand Rapids BOC Score 56.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Calvin University

Grand Rapids, MI 4.3 miles from Grand Rapids BOC Score 71.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 42

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Kuyper College

Grand Rapids, MI 5.3 miles from Grand Rapids BOC Score 30.4
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,066
Avg net price $15,644/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Davenport University

Grand Rapids, MI 10.0 miles from Grand Rapids BOC Score 44.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 98%
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,099
Avg net price $17,707/yr
Tuition
In‑state$24,466
Out‑of‑state$24,466
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Education Wages Near Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids is part of the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area (BLS area code 24340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Michigan statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Secondary School Teacher$63,730Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI$66,733
Elementary School Teacher$61,900Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI$64,817
Middle School Teacher$61,660Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI$64,565
Education Teacher, Postsecondary$61,280Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI$64,168
Education Administrator, K-12$101,680Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI$106,471
Education Administrator, Postsecondary$99,120Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI$103,791
Tutor$38,070Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI$39,864
Educational and Career Counselor$49,960Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI$52,314

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.


Grand Rapids at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population197,768Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$65,526Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+40.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)95.5 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Education-related employment in Kent County10,460 workers, 262 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Grand Rapids-Area Cities With Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited education schools are near Grand Rapids, MI?

Accredited schools offering education programs near Grand Rapids are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying education roles near Grand Rapids?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying education-related roles near Grand Rapids are: Education Administrator, K-12 ($101,680), Education Administrator, Postsecondary ($99,120), Secondary School Teacher ($63,730). 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 Walker instead of Grand Rapids?

Walker, MI is 4.8 miles from Grand Rapids and has its own set of local education programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Grand Rapids an affordable place to study education?

Grand Rapids’s median household income of $65,526 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Grand Rapids 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 Education Programs

Other Programs Available in Grand Rapids

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Grand Rapids:

Data verified: July 23, 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.