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Sterling Heights, Michigan (55432151078)Photo: Ajay Suresh · CC BY 4.0
Colleges in and near Sterling Heights

Dorsey College is 5.5 miles from Sterling Heights

No college sits inside Sterling Heights’ boundary, but Dorsey College’s campus in Madison Heights, with 547 students on campus, is 5.5 miles from the center of town, and Macomb Community College is 6 miles away in Warren. About 7% of Sterling Heights’ residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Michigan (6%).

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 Sterling Heights. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
13
45,804 students on campus
Nearest college
5.5 mi
Dorsey College
Residents in college
7%
About the same as MI (6%)
Nearest community college
6 mi
Macomb · $3,660 tuition
Nearest public university
11.5 mi
Oakland University · $15,262 in-state
Median household income
$80K
prices below start here

What stands out about college from Sterling Heights

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

A college 5.5 miles awayDorsey College has 547 students on campus in Madison Heights, 54% of whom graduate within three years.A community college 6 miles awayMacomb Community College in Warren: tuition and fees $3,660 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 7% of residentsAbout the same as Michigan (6%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Sterling Heights

10 private colleges within 14.8 miles, one public college within 11.5 miles, and two community colleges.

5 mi10 mi15 miOakland UniversityMacombOaklandSterling Heights
University or collegeCommunity college
Dorsey CollegeUniversity or college · For-profit · 547 on campus · 5.5 mi · Madison Heights$29knet price54%graduate$29kearningsEarnings are reported for all 7 campuses that file with it.Macomb Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 10,297 on campus · 6 mi · Warren$2knet price18%graduate$42kearningsTuition and fees: $3,660 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Walsh CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 348 on campus · 6 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 · 6.3 mi · Troy86%admitted$28knet price100%graduate$92kearningsEarnings are reported for all 15 campuses that file with it.Dorsey College-RosevilleUniversity or college · For-profit · 443 on campus · 6.9 mi · Roseville$29knet price35%graduate$29kearningsEarnings are reported for all 7 campuses that file with it.Rochester UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 957 on campus · 8.3 mi · Rochester Hills98%admitted$21knet price44%graduate$49kearningsOakland Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 9,066 on campus · 10.8 mi · Auburn Hills$6knet price21%graduate$37kearningsTuition and fees: $3,020 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Cranbrook Academy of ArtUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 119 on campus · 11.2 mi · Bloomfield HillsGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.Oakland UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 14,326 on campus · 11.5 mi · Rochester Hills88%admitted$9knet price58%graduate$59kearningsUniversity of Detroit MercyUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 5,421 on campus · 12.8 mi · Detroit75%admitted$15knet price67%graduate$71kearningsLawrence Technological UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,988 on campus · 13.4 mi · Southfield56%admitted$33knet price61%graduate$69kearningsArizona College of Nursing-SouthfieldUniversity or college · For-profit · 415 on campus · 13.6 mi · Southfield100%admitted$39knet price$35kearningsEarnings are reported for all 20 campuses that file with it.Sacred Heart Major SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 265 on campus · 14.8 mi · Detroit100%admitted$12knet price67%graduate$49kearnings

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 $75–110k, where Sterling Heights’ median household income ($79,909) falls.

Macomb Community College6 mi · Warren · sticker $11,912 · tuition $3,660$8,336a year
Oakland Community College10.8 mi · Auburn Hills · sticker $12,353 · tuition $3,020$10,132a year
Oakland University11.5 mi · Rochester Hills · sticker $25,182$11,874a year
University of Detroit Mercy12.8 mi · Detroit · sticker $42,211$15,584a year
Rochester University8.3 mi · Rochester Hills · sticker $41,787$20,596a year
Dorsey College-Roseville6.9 mi · Roseville · sticker $33,929$29,806a year
Dorsey College5.5 mi · Madison Heights · sticker $34,227$30,398a year
Lawrence Technological University13.4 mi · Southfield · sticker $58,166$33,632a year
Arizona College of Nursing-Southfield13.6 mi · Southfield · sticker $42,280$42,280a year
Chamberlain University-Michigan6.3 mi · Troy · sticker $33,910—a year
Sacred Heart Major Seminary14.8 mi · Detroit · sticker $41,915—a 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 Sterling Heights: 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 →MacombRochester UniversityOaklandOakland UniversityUniversity of Detroit MercyLawrence Technological University
Oakland University58% graduate$59k earnings$23k typical debt
Macomb Community College18% graduate$42k earnings$6k typical debt
Oakland Community College21% graduate$37k earnings$9k typical debt
University of Detroit Mercy67% graduate$71k earnings$23k 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
Dorsey College-Roseville35% graduate$29k earnings*$13k typical debt
Sacred Heart Major Seminary67% graduate$49k 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. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Dorsey College (7); Chamberlain University-Michigan (15); Dorsey College-Roseville (7).

Questions about college near Sterling Heights

Is Sterling Heights a college town?

No. About 7 of every 100 Sterling Heights residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), about the same as Michigan (6). The nearest campus, Dorsey College, is 5.5 miles away in Madison Heights.

What colleges are near Sterling Heights?

13 colleges are within 15 miles. The largest: Oakland University (11.5 miles, 14,326 students on campus), Macomb Community College (6 miles, 10,297) and Oakland Community College (10.8 miles, 9,066).

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

Macomb Community College in Warren, 6 miles away. Tuition and fees are $3,660 a year for Michigan residents; the federal net price, $1,618, 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 Sterling Heights. 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 →