Best Cost Estimator programs in Michigan, ranked by enrollment
Prepare cost estimates for product manufacturing, construction projects, or services to aid management in bidding on or determining price of product or service.
72 schools in Michigan run programs that feed this job, graduating 9,846 people a year. The job pays a median of $77,990 in Michigan across about 6,960 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Michigan that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
7 programs in Michigan that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Michigan (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Michigan page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 52.0201In Michigan → | 6,235 | 63.3% | 69 | $43,506 | $25,000 |
| 2 | CIP 14.1901In Michigan → | 1,898 | 19.3% | 17 | $70,724 | $24,833 |
| 3 | CIP 52.0101In Michigan → | 1,327 | 13.5% | 25 | $44,700 | $24,000 |
| 4 | CIP 15.1001In Michigan → | 179 | 1.8% | 9 | $72,178 | $22,750 |
| 5 | CIP 14.1801In Michigan → | 122 | 1.2% | 4 | $74,110 | $23,250 |
| 6 | CIP 14.3601In Michigan → | 50 | 0.5% | 6 | $72,154 | $21,457 |
| 7 | CIP 14.3301In Michigan → | 35 | 0.4% | 2 | $75,998 | $25,314 |
Top 25 schools in Michigan
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 41 of the 72 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI Public · 5 feeder programs | 1,892 | Business Administration and Management, General | $93,674 | 93% | — | 16% |
| 2 | Michigan State University East Lansing, MI Public · 5 feeder programs | 586 | Mechanical Engineering | $80,259 | 81% | — | 85% |
| 3 | Wayne State University Detroit, MI Public · 3 feeder programs | 413 | Business Administration and Management, General | — | 58% | — | 81% |
| 4 | Michigan Technological University Houghton, MI Public · 4 feeder programs | 394 | Mechanical Engineering | $74,922 | 68% | — | 92% |
| 5 | Cleary University Howell, MI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 385 | Business Administration and Management, General | $50,573 | 41% | $20,879 | 68% |
| 6 | Northwood University Midland, MI Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 353 | Business Administration and Management, General | $51,943 | 63% | $24,986 | 65% |
| 7 | Davenport University Grand Rapids, MI Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 345 | Business Administration and Management, General | $51,384 | 57% | $22,126 | 98% |
| 8 | Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI Public · 3 feeder programs | 329 | Mechanical Engineering | $78,213 | 58% | — | 88% |
| 9 | Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI Public · 3 feeder programs | 293 | Business Administration and Management, General | $48,535 | 47% | — | 91% |
| 10 | Macomb Community College Warren, MI Public · 4 feeder programs | 245 | Business/Commerce, General | $37,532 | 18% | — | — |
| 11 | University of Michigan - Dearborn Dearborn, MI Public · 4 feeder programs | 232 | Mechanical Engineering | $70,688 | 58% | — | 56% |
| 12 | Henry Ford College Dearborn, MI Public · 3 feeder programs | 231 | Business Administration and Management, General | $37,860 | 17% | — | — |
| 13 | Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI Public · 3 feeder programs | 219 | Business/Commerce, General | $45,285 | 67% | — | 83% |
| 14 | Washtenaw Community College Ann Arbor, MI Public · 1 feeder programs | 199 | Business Administration and Management, General | $41,152 | 33% | — | — |
| 15 | Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI Public · 2 feeder programs | 197 | Business Administration and Management, General | $53,605 | 59% | — | 90% |
| 16 | Oakland Community College Auburn Hills, MI Public · 2 feeder programs | 190 | Business/Commerce, General | — | 21% | — | — |
| 17 | Kettering University Flint, MI Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 187 | Mechanical Engineering | $79,307 | 71% | $30,880 | 79% |
| 18 | Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI Public · 2 feeder programs | 176 | Business Administration and Management, General | $55,660 | 58% | — | 85% |
| 19 | Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI Public · 4 feeder programs | 156 | Business Administration and Management, General | $44,214 | 46% | — | 80% |
| 20 | Jackson College Jackson, MI Public · 1 feeder programs | 148 | Business Administration and Management, General | $29,624 | 16% | — | — |
| 21 | University of Michigan - Flint Flint, MI Public · 2 feeder programs | 147 | Business Administration and Management, General | $50,528 | 40% | — | 70% |
| 22 | Baker College Owosso, MI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 135 | Business Administration and Management, General | $55,372 | 36% | $15,493 | 82% |
| 23 | Lawrence Technological University Southfield, MI Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 126 | Mechanical Engineering | $77,321 | 61% | $32,679 | 56% |
| 24 | University of Detroit Mercy Detroit, MI Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 122 | Business Administration and Management, General | $37,972 | 67% | $16,109 | 75% |
| 25 | Saginaw Valley State University University Center, MI Public · 3 feeder programs | 115 | Business Administration and Management, General | $44,490 | 48% | — | 72% |
All 72 schools in Michigan
Every school in Michigan with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Ann Arbor | Public | 1,892 | 5 |
| Michigan State University | East Lansing | Public | 586 | 5 |
| Wayne State University | Detroit | Public | 413 | 3 |
| Michigan Technological University | Houghton | Public | 394 | 4 |
| Cleary University | Howell | Private not-for-profit | 385 | 1 |
| Northwood University | Midland | Private not-for-profit | 353 | 2 |
| Davenport University | Grand Rapids | Private not-for-profit | 345 | 2 |
| Oakland University | Rochester Hills | Public | 329 | 3 |
| Ferris State University | Big Rapids | Public | 293 | 3 |
| Macomb Community College | Warren | Public | 245 | 4 |
| University of Michigan - Dearborn | Dearborn | Public | 232 | 4 |
| Henry Ford College | Dearborn | Public | 231 | 3 |
| Grand Valley State University | Allendale | Public | 219 | 3 |
| Washtenaw Community College | Ann Arbor | Public | 199 | 1 |
| Central Michigan University | Mount Pleasant | Public | 197 | 2 |
What cost estimators earn in Michigan
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $78,740. Michigan pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Michigan
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Cost Estimators page.
How to become a Cost Estimator
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Michigan
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 7 majors mapped to Cost Estimators7 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 14.1801Materials Engineering
- 14.1901Mechanical Engineering
- 14.3301Construction Engineering
- 14.3601Manufacturing Engineering
- 15.1001Construction Engineering Technology/Technician
- 52.0101Business/Commerce, General
- 52.0201Business Administration and Management, General
Common questions
Answers for people weighing cost estimators programs in Michigan.
What degree do you need to become a Cost Estimator?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Business Administration and Management, General, which awarded 6,235 degrees in Michigan in 2024-25, 63.3% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Cost Estimator?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 7 programs to this occupation. The largest are Business Administration, Mechanical Engineering, Business/Commerce, Construction Engineering Technology/Technician, plus 3 more. Together they graduate about 9,846 people a year in Michigan.
How much do cost estimators earn in Michigan?+
The median is $77,990 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 1.0% below the U.S. median of $78,740. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for cost estimators growing?+
BLS projects a -4.2% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 16,900 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Michigan?+
72 institutions in Michigan reported graduates from at least one of the 7 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do cost estimators work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Estimator, Cost Analyst, Cost Estimator, Construction Estimator among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 13-1051.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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