Ann Arbor or Detroit? University of Michigan or Michigan State? We’ve put together a quick guide on everything you need to know—from schools and research to scholarships and job prospects. Read on to learn more about data science programs in Michigan.

Michigan has some interesting things going on in the way of data and technology. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is pumping money into the tech economy; booster organizations like Automation Alley and TechTown Detroit are promoting data-driven accelerators and incubators; and Grow Detroit is attempting to turn Motown into the next Atlanta. Additional developments include the following:

But keep your eye on the road. Thanks to its history, Michigan is becoming an interesting place to study automotive data science. Ann Arbor’s Mcity is a test site for connected/automated vehicles and systems, and Uber has opened a facility in Detroit to connect with car companies and tier-1 suppliers.

Mcity is a University of Michigan-Ann Arbor initiative—just one of the many that has made the university world-famous. Southeast Michigan has plenty of sturdy tech schools as well.

Here’s how Michigan’s schools are competing (and collaborating) on the big data front:

Even schools outside of Michigan’s University Research Corridor (URC) are getting in on the action. Michigan Tech has traditionally been known for its strength in mechanical engineering, but it’s making a shift to Computation, Data, Electronics, and Sensing research at places like the Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI).

In addition, Central Michigan University is throwing its weight behind the CMU Research Corporation (CMURC), a business incubator and accelerator initiative for mid-Michigan companies, and Grand Valley State University is launching itself at big data research projects in places like its Data Inquiry Lab.

Compared to others states (e.g. California and Illinois), Michigan hasn’t developed as many online programs in data science. However, there are some distance options available from campuses in the state.

We cover general things to look for in an online data science program elsewhere, so here we profile your choices in Michigan.

In the realm of graduate certificates in data science, Michigan State is one option. Its online Master Certificate in Business Analytics is run through the Eli Broad College of Business, and is primarily targeted at professionals who need to master essential data fundamentals and tools.

If you’re beyond this skill level, have a look at our directory of Online Graduate Certificates in Data Science. This has a list of certificates in all kinds of fields (e.g. data mining, analytics, healthcare informatics, etc.) from schools across the country.

Baker College runs an online MBA in Business Intelligence for managers who wish to understand information systems and IT technologies, but there aren’t many online degree programs in Michigan that tackle advanced technical skills in data science.

When in doubt, try exploring our databases of online master’s degrees in data science, business analytics, and information systems around the nation.

If you’re in Michigan and interested in pursuing a career in either data science and data analytics, you may want to consider completing a bootcamp. Data science and data analytics bootcamps are “crash courses” that can quickly yet effectively introduce students to new fields. While some bootcamps in Michigan focus exclusively on data science, the study of how knowledge is extracted from raw data, others concentrate solely on data analytics, the process of drawing practical conclusions from data. Other bootcamps in Michigan may combine the study of both data science and data analytics. See our guides to learn more about data science bootcamps or data analytics bootcamps in Michigan.

For this section, we focused on university scholarships (i.e. institutional aid) that would cover the school’s data science program. But this isn’t the end! The Graduate Studies Office will have more info on general aid (e.g. diversity scholarships) and alternative financing options (e.g. outside awards or low-interest loans). Money is often available for STEM degrees.

Southeast Michigan has meetups focused on specific tools (e.g. Ann Arbor R Users), interests (e.g. Data+Visualization Detroit), and businesses. Here are 5 you might wish to explore:

Major data science conferences (e.g. Strata Data Conference, Predictive Analytics World, IEEE Conferences, SIGKDD, The Machine Learning Conference, etc.) tend to stick to bigger cities, but you may get lucky with Detroit. Alternatively, you can try some of the smaller events, which are often organized by URC universities or organizations like Grow Detroit. These include:

You’ll find data science jobs swirling around Detroit/Ann Arbor in Michigan.

Along with the likes of Quicken Loans, Motor City has Detroit Labs, LevelEleven, start-ups like Locqus, and a lot of reasonably priced real estate. In 2015, Amazon also has a Detroit office, as well as Microsoft and Twitter.

Meanwhile, Ann Arbor has become a city of innovators like Llamasoft, Deepfield, Nutshell, FarmLogs, and Duo Security. It’s also home to the Google office that primarily handles sales for Google’s AdWords search ads.

According to data from the O*NET OnLine in 2020, data scientists made an average $74,730 per year in Michigan.

Last updated: April 2022

If you’re looking for information on career paths that involve STEM, see our guides below:

Data Science and Analytics Careers:

Computer Science, Computer Engineering and Information Careers:

Marketing and User Research Careers:

Compare Careers and STEM Fields:

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