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Colleges in and near Sault Ste. Marie

Sault Ste. Marie is home to Lake Superior State University

Lake Superior State University (1,564 students on campus) is inside the city. About 13% of Sault Ste. Marie’s residents are enrolled in college, above Michigan (6%).

Lake Superior State 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 Sault Ste. Marie. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
2
1,714 students on campus
Nearest college
1.2 mi
Lake Superior State
Residents in college
13%
Above MI (6%)
Nearest community college
82 mi
North Central Michigan College · $5,430 tuition
Nearest public university
1.2 mi
Lake Superior State · $14,890 in-state
Median household income
$55K
prices below start here

What stands out about college in Sault Ste. Marie

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

A university in Sault Ste. MarieLake Superior State University has 1,564 students on campus in Sault Ste. Marie, 51% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Lake Superior StateLiving in Michigan, Lake Superior State University charges $14,890 in tuition and fees, the same for every student.A community college 82 miles awayNorth Central Michigan College in Petoskey: tuition and fees $5,430 a year for Michigan residents.Students are 13% of residentsAbove Michigan (6%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Sault Ste. Marie

Both are public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Sault Ste. Marie.

5 mi10 mi15 miLake Superior StateBay MillsSault Ste. Marie
University or collegeCommunity college
Lake Superior State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 1,564 on campus · In Sault Ste. Marie$13knet price51%graduate$49kearningsBay Mills Community CollegeUniversity or college · Public · 150 on campus · 11.3 mi · Brimley · mostly online$3knet price30%graduate$30kearnings74% of its students study only online; price, graduation and earnings count them too.

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 $48–75k, where Sault Ste. Marie’s median household income ($55,328) falls.

Bay Mills Community College11.3 mi · Brimley · mostly online · sticker $12,043$5,992a year
Lake Superior State UniversityIn Sault Ste. Marie · sticker $27,154$10,422a 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 Sault Ste. Marie: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Lake Superior StateBay Mills
Lake Superior State University51% graduate$49k earnings$23k typical debt
Bay Mills Community College30% graduate$30k earnings

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.

Majors

What students study in Sault Ste. Marie

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Lake Superior State University, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Public safety 17%Business 15%Liberal arts 13%Natural resources 9%Engineering 8%Health professions 8%Everything else 31%

Biggest programs

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing38 graduates a year
$71k4 yrs out
Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management25 graduates a year
$44k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections22 graduates a year
$58k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations15 graduates a year
$53k4 yrs out
Mechanical Engineering14 graduates a year
$90k4 yrs out
Biology, General12 graduates a year
$46k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Sault Ste. Marie

Is Sault Ste. Marie a college town?

No. About 13 of every 100 Sault Ste. Marie residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), above Michigan (6). The largest campus in the city, Lake Superior State University, has 1,564 students on campus.

What colleges are in Sault Ste. Marie?

Lake Superior State University is inside the city. North Central Michigan College is 82 miles away in Petoskey.

What is the closest community college to Sault Ste. Marie, and what does it cost?

North Central Michigan College in Petoskey, 82 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,430 a year for Michigan residents; the federal net price, $10,083, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does Lake Superior State University cost if we live in Michigan?

Tuition and fees are $14,890 a year in-state and $14,890 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $3,516 (under $30,000 income) to $20,321 (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 Sault Ste. Marie. 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 →