Higher Education in Michigan Ranked Among Worst in America

U.S. News & World Report is out with its annual list of America's best states for higher education, and you have to scroll and scroll and scroll before you finally find Michigan.

As a matter of fact, the report finds that only two states - Pennsylvania (#1) and Louisiana (#2) - rank worse than Michigan when it comes to education past high school.

SEE ALSO: These Are the 5 Worst Community Colleges in Michigan

But why? What are the factors that cause Michigan's numbers to be so abysmal?

The Problems With Higher Education in Michigan

According to U.S. News & World Report, there are a variety of things that tank Michigan on this survey.

Regarding higher education, the study looked at these main metrics:

• the percentage of each state's residents that have a college degree;
• post-secondary graduation rates;
• the cost of post-secondary education for in-state residents;
• and each state's typical level of student debt upon leaving college.

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Only 16 states have a lower percentage of college grads than Michigan does. That puts us in the bottom third.

Michigan ranks 12th for student debt, so that doesn't help the state's cause either.

SEE ALSO: 7 Michigan Colleges Named Among the Best Ones to Work For

The Mitten State's in the bottom 10 as far as the cost of tuition and fees goes, and its graduation from 2-year post-secondary programs is 6th worst in the nation.

The One Bright Spot for Higher Education in Michigan

Despite those discouraging statistics, there is something Michigan can be proud of when it comes to higher ed - its 4-year college graduation rate. Students who go to Michigan's 4-year colleges and universities have a grad rate that's 8th-highest in the country.

You can see the full breakdown from U.S. News & World Report and compare the numbers from other states here.