There are various courses available in Michigan for individuals who wish to pursue a nursing career, each one tailored to a specific type of nursing certification. With over 80 institutions offering programs in nursing education, Michigan provides a wealth of options for aspiring nurses to gain certification as a nursing assistant, licensed practical nurse, or registered nurse.
Nursing assistant
Michigan
We've organized a comprehensive list of Michigan nursing schools. Below you'll find information on specific nursing programs such as LPN certificates and ADN, BSN, and MSN degrees. You'll also find a profile of nursing education and careers in each major Michigan city.
Michigan school overviews
Michigan nursing programs and careers
City-specific information
Nursing is one of the largest occupations in Jackson, Michigan, with more than 3,200 nurses employed in the greater metropolitan area. Registered nurses (RNs) account for more than half of the local nursing population. Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) comprise the second-largest population of nurses in Jackson, followed by licensed practical nurses (LPNs).
Students entering the nursing profession can choose to qualify as either a certified nursing assistant (CNA), licensed practical nurse (LPN), or registered nurse (RN). Each nursing role has a distinct education pathway.
Certified nursing assistant
CNAs spend a relatively brief amount of time in school before beginning work, typically only a few months. The certificate programs offered at local community colleges are an affordable choice for many aspiring nursing assistants. CNAs in Flint, Michigan, earn a median annual salary of $26,000.
Aspiring nurses can target one of three nursing roles. Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) take a short eight- to ten-week certificate course, typically offered at a local community college. Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) complete a longer certificate program of 12-18 months; they must also pass the NCLEX-PN national examination to gain licensure. CNAs and LPNs are usually supervised by the most senior type of nurse, a registered nurse (RN).
The Motor City has a wide range of nursing employment opportunities. Aetna, the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Center, and the Caswood Group are all frequently hiring new nurses to join their teams. These institutions demonstrate the breadth of nursing employment available in Detroit, since each provider specializes in a different area of healthcare.
Nursing roles
A host of nursing opportunities are available in the Dearborn / Livonia area of Michigan, as local specialized healthcare companies look to expand their operations. Infinity Primary Care is one such example. The company concentrates on family medicine and thus places an emphasis on the patient interaction skills of its nurses. Fresenius Medical Care, a multinational company focused on renal dialysis, is another local nursing employer.
The nursing roles
Ann Arbor provides an excellent home for launching one’s nursing career. Nursing salaries are significantly higher than state averages, and major healthcare employers are frequently in the market for new hires. We’ve profiled below several important local nursing roles.
Certified nursing assistant (CNA) and licensed practical nurse (LPN)
Michigan employs a large number of nurses in a variety of roles. With the recent growth of the state’s healthcare sector, major employers like Covenant Healthcare are looking to expand their nursing teams significantly. The state’s recent employment statistics demonstrate that now is a promising time for aspiring nurses in Michigan.
Nursing assistant and licensed practical nurse programs
The all-in costs of nursing school can vary substantially depending upon several factors. Below we’ve profiled the most important decision criteria for prospective nursing students.
Public versus private school
Nursing students’ primary cost of enrollment is tuition. This cost can vary significantly depending upon the choice of school. For example, due to their lack of state funding, private schools are usually more expensive than their public counterparts. This gap may be partially offset, however, by financial aid and scholarship opportunities.
Michigan is home to a number of prestigious private colleges and universities that offer nursing degree programs. These private schools often have smaller class sizes than their public counterparts, enabling them to provide students a personalized education experience. For this reason, local nursing employers like Tenet Healthcare often favor graduates of private nursing schools. Although they can be more expensive than public nursing schools due to a lack of state funding, private schools are still within reach of the average student’s budget.
Public colleges and universities are an attractive option for students concerned about the costs of nursing education. Public schools charge lower tuition than their private counterparts because they are partially subsidized by the state government. As a result, Michigan residents can enjoy significantly lower tuition at prestigious schools like University of Michigan and Lake Superior State University. Both universities offer a breadth of highly regarded nursing programs.
Undergraduate programs