Best General Studies Schools Near Traverse City, MI (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Traverse City, Michigan has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs. Traverse City has a population of about 15,491. 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 general studies-related role is Management Analysts at a median $94,690 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest General Studies Schools to Traverse City

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer general studies 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 — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Northwestern Michigan College

Traverse City, MI 1.2 miles from Traverse City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,167
Avg net price $6,231/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

General Studies 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)
General and Operations Managers $84,300 Traverse City, MI $90,257
Management Analysts $94,690 Traverse City, MI $101,381
Human Resources Specialists $64,480 Traverse City, MI $69,036
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $59,460 Traverse City, MI $63,662
Writers and Authors N/A MI statewide –
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $66,200 Traverse City, MI $70,878
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $61,760 Traverse City, MI $66,124
Social and Community Service Managers $78,420 Traverse City, MI $83,961

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 General Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited general studies schools are near Traverse City, MI?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near Traverse City. The closest is Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City, MI (1.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Mid Michigan College (68.3 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying general studies roles near Traverse City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near Traverse City are: Management Analysts ($94,690), General and Operations Managers ($84,300), Social and Community Service Managers ($78,420). 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 general studies 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 general studies?

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 General Studies Programs

Other Programs Available in Traverse City

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

Data verified: September 5, 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.

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