Start strong
in Warren, Michigan
You're deciding whether to spend your first two years at Macomb Community College before finishing a bachelor's elsewhere in Michigan. That choice involves real numbers: transfer rates, earnings after graduation, and what it actually costs you out of pocket.
16,300 undergrads, 34% transfer out by year 8, median $42k 10-yr earnings, $6,000 median debt.
Warren's big CC sends one in three students to a four-year school
Macomb Community College enrolls 16,300 undergrads in Warren, Michigan, and its eight-year transfer-out rate is 34% — well above the national community college average. Median earnings land at $42k ten years out, and median debt is a low $6,000. General Studies and Liberal Arts together account for more than 1,000 completions annually, giving transfer-bound students a clear runway. In-district tuition is $3,330 and net price is just $1,618, making cost nearly a non-issue. The 0% three-year loan default rate reinforces the picture.
Macomb Community College sits in Warren, Michigan — the state's third-largest city — and enrolls 16,300 undergraduates, with 68% attending part-time. That part-time majority shapes everything: students here are often juggling work or family alongside coursework, and pacing reflects that. The college's top program by volume is General Studies, with 716 completions, followed by Liberal Arts and Sciences at 338 and Business at 180 — all fields with direct applications to transfer-prep tracks. Registered Nursing adds another 137 completions. The eight-year transfer-out rate is 34%, a strong number that puts Macomb clearly above the national community college baseline. Median earnings ten years out are $42k, median debt is $6,000, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. In-district tuition is $3,330, and the average net price drops to $1,618. For a cost-conscious Michigan student with a four-year degree in mind, the combination of low cost and a real transfer track record makes Macomb worth serious consideration.
What this CC teaches at scale
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| General Studies. | 716 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies. | 338 |
| Business/Commerce, General. | 180 |
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse. | 137 |
| Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician. | 58 |
| Computer Graphics. | 54 |
| Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician. | 45 |
| Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance. | 44 |
| Surgical Technology/Technologist. | 44 |
| Business Administration and Management, General. | 39 |
Source · IPEDS completions (all undergraduate credentials).
Where Michigan transfers tend to go
Reflects state-aggregated IPEDS transfer-in volume — CC-specific destinations are not publicly available from IPEDS or the College Scorecard.
Frequently asked
- Is Macomb Community College a good place to start a bachelor's degree?
- The data makes a solid case. Macomb's eight-year transfer-out rate is 34%, which is meaningfully above the national community college average and suggests a real pattern of students completing the transfer step rather than stalling. In-district tuition is $3,330 and the average net price is just $1,618, so debt accumulation here is minimal — median borrower debt is $6,000. Median earnings ten years after enrollment are $42k, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. The combination of low cost, a functioning transfer rate, and a clean debt profile makes Macomb a reasonable foundation for a bachelor's degree, provided you arrive with a clear plan for where you intend to transfer.
- How does Macomb Community College's transfer-out rate compare to typical community colleges?
- Macomb's eight-year transfer-out rate is 34%. National data consistently places the average community college transfer rate in the 15–25% range, so Macomb sits noticeably above that benchmark. The 34% figure is measured over eight years, and given that 68% of Macomb students attend part-time — which tends to extend timelines significantly — it reflects genuine momentum toward the transfer step. An additional 2.2% were still enrolled at the eight-year mark, and 18% had completed a credential at Macomb itself. Taken together, these numbers suggest Macomb is operating as an active part of Michigan's four-year pipeline, not simply enrolling students who don't progress.
- What programs does Macomb Community College offer at meaningful scale?
- Macomb's highest-volume programs by completions are General Studies (716), Liberal Arts and Sciences (338), Business and Commerce (180), Registered Nursing (137), and Automotive Technology (58). Computer Graphics (54), HVAC Technology (45), and Computer and Information Systems Security (44) round out the top programs. The breadth matters: students aiming at a transfer-prep path have strong General Studies and Liberal Arts infrastructure, while those pursuing career-technical fields — healthcare, automotive, computing, trades — have programs operating at real scale with developed advising and course capacity. The concentration in General Studies and Liberal Arts also signals that Macomb's course catalog is built to serve students who need flexible scheduling on the way to a four-year degree.
Methodology — Transfer signals reflect IPEDS Outcome Measures 8-year cohorts; earnings and debt come from the College Scorecard. Destinations are state-aggregated; we do not claim CC-specific transfer destinations without authoritative per-student tracking data.