Best Liberal Arts Schools Near Sterling Heights, MI (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Sterling Heights, Michigan has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs. Sterling Heights has a population of about 133,473. Median household income is $78,429 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $100,570 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Sterling Heights

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

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

Sort:
#1

Walsh College

Troy, MI 6.0 miles from Sterling Heights
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,081
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI 8.3 miles from Sterling Heights
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
41.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,707
Avg net price $21,456/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

Cranbrook Academy of Art

Bloomfield Hills, MI 11.2 miles from Sterling Heights
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, MI 11.5 miles from Sterling Heights
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,612
Avg net price $9,120/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 133

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

University of Detroit Mercy

Detroit, MI 12.8 miles from Sterling Heights
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,030
Avg net price $15,232/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Lawrence Technological University

Southfield, MI 13.4 miles from Sterling Heights
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,151
Avg net price $32,918/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

College for Creative Studies

Detroit, MI 15.2 miles from Sterling Heights
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
34.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 92%
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,860
Avg net price $34,617/yr
Tuition
In‑state$53,350
Out‑of‑state$53,350
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Wayne State University

Detroit, MI 15.5 miles from Sterling Heights
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,493
Avg net price $12,766/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 160

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

Liberal Arts Wages Near Sterling Heights

Sterling Heights is part of the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area (BLS area code 19820). 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)
Public Relations Specialist $66,100 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $65,902
Management Analyst $100,570 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $100,269
Technical Writer $92,390 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $92,114
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist $77,180 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $76,949
Editor $65,740 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $65,543
Training and Development Specialist $67,530 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $67,328
Human Resources Specialist $75,830 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $75,603

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.

Sterling Heights at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 133,473 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $78,429 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 31.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.3 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Sterling Heights-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Sterling Heights, MI?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Sterling Heights. The closest is Walsh College in Troy, MI (6.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Cranbrook Academy of Art (11.2 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near Sterling Heights?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Sterling Heights are: Management Analyst ($100,570), Technical Writer ($92,390), News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist ($77,180). 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 Troy instead of Sterling Heights?

Troy, MI is 5.9 miles from Sterling Heights and has its own set of local liberal arts programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Sterling Heights an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Sterling Heights’s median household income of $78,429 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Sterling Heights 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 Liberal Arts Programs

Other Programs Available in Sterling Heights

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Sterling Heights:

Data verified: September 6, 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.

Back to Best Liberal Arts Schools in Michigan: Online Programs (2026)