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Downtown Pontiac MIPhoto: Lrgjr72 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Colleges in and near Pontiac

Oakland University is 4 miles from Pontiac

No college sits inside Pontiac’s boundary, but Oakland University’s campus in Rochester Hills, with 14,326 students on campus, is 4 miles from the center of town, and Oakland Community College is 3.2 miles away in Auburn Hills. About 5% of Pontiac’s residents are enrolled in college, below Michigan (6%).

Oakland Community CollegeOakland University

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Pontiac. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
10
29,554 students on campus
Nearest college
3.2 mi
Oakland
Residents in college
5%
Below MI (6%)
Nearest community college
3.2 mi
Oakland · $3,020 tuition
Nearest public university
4 mi
Oakland University · $15,262 in-state
Median household income
$44K
prices below start here

What stands out about college from Pontiac

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

Two colleges within 4 milesOakland University admits 88% of applicants. Together they have 23,392 students on campus.A community college 3.2 miles awayOakland Community College in Auburn Hills: tuition and fees $3,020 a year for Michigan residents.In-state price at Oakland UniversityLiving in Michigan, Oakland University charges $15,262 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $23,188. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.Students are 5% of residentsBelow Michigan (6%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Pontiac

Eight private colleges within 12.5 miles, one public college within 4 miles, and Oakland Community College 3.2 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miOakland UniversityOaklandLawrence Technological UniversityPontiac
University or collegeCommunity college
Oakland Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 9,066 on campus · 3.2 mi · Auburn Hills$6knet price21%graduate$37kearningsTuition and fees: $3,020 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Oakland UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 14,326 on campus · 4 mi · Rochester Hills88%admitted$9knet price58%graduate$59kearningsCranbrook Academy of ArtUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 119 on campus · 5.9 mi · Bloomfield HillsGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.Rochester UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 957 on campus · 7.3 mi · Rochester Hills98%admitted$21knet price44%graduate$49kearningsWalsh CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 348 on campus · 8.8 mi · Troy · mostly online$72kearnings69% of its students study only online; price, graduation and earnings count them too.Chamberlain University-MichiganUniversity or college · For-profit · 612 on campus · 9.4 mi · Troy86%admitted$28knet price100%graduate$92kearningsEarnings are reported for all 15 campuses that file with it.Michigan School of PsychologyUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 176 on campus · 11.5 mi · Farmington HillsGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.Arizona College of Nursing-SouthfieldUniversity or college · For-profit · 415 on campus · 11.7 mi · Southfield100%admitted$39knet price$35kearningsEarnings are reported for all 20 campuses that file with it.Lawrence Technological UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,988 on campus · 12.3 mi · Southfield56%admitted$33knet price61%graduate$69kearningsDorsey CollegeUniversity or college · For-profit · 547 on campus · 12.5 mi · Madison Heights$29knet price54%graduate$29kearningsEarnings are reported for all 7 campuses that file with it.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $30–48k, where Pontiac’s median household income ($44,329) falls.

Oakland Community College3.2 mi · Auburn Hills · sticker $12,353 · tuition $3,020$4,325a year
Oakland University4 mi · Rochester Hills · sticker $25,182$4,560a year
Rochester University7.3 mi · Rochester Hills · sticker $41,787$17,173a year
Lawrence Technological University12.3 mi · Southfield · sticker $58,166$27,036a year
Chamberlain University-Michigan9.4 mi · Troy · sticker $33,910$28,665a year
Dorsey College12.5 mi · Madison Heights · sticker $34,227$29,284a year
Arizona College of Nursing-Southfield11.7 mi · Southfield · sticker $42,280$40,363a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Pontiac: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k$100k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →OaklandOakland UniversityRochester UniversityChamberlain University-MichiganLawrence Technological UniversityDorsey College
Oakland University58% graduate$59k earnings$23k typical debt
Oakland Community College21% graduate$37k earnings$9k typical debt
Lawrence Technological University61% graduate$69k earnings$27k typical debt
Rochester University44% graduate$49k earnings$24k typical debt
Chamberlain University-Michigan100% graduate$92k earnings*$21k typical debt
Dorsey College54% graduate$29k earnings*$13k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Chamberlain University-Michigan (15); Dorsey College (7).

Questions about college near Pontiac

Is Pontiac a college town?

No. About 5 of every 100 Pontiac residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), below Michigan (6). The nearest campus, Oakland Community College, is 3.2 miles away in Auburn Hills.

What colleges are near Pontiac?

10 colleges are within 15 miles. The largest: Oakland University (4 miles, 14,326 students on campus), Oakland Community College (3.2 miles, 9,066) and Lawrence Technological University (12.3 miles, 2,988).

What is the closest community college to Pontiac, and what does it cost?

Oakland Community College in Auburn Hills, 3.2 miles away. Tuition and fees are $3,020 a year for Michigan residents; the federal net price, $5,777, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does Oakland University cost if we live in Michigan?

Tuition and fees are $15,262 a year in-state and $23,188 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $4,422 (under $30,000 income) to $19,217 (over $110,000), housing and food included.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Pontiac. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →