Amanda Forrester / news@whmi.com

Cleary University was named as one of Niche’s top colleges for business in Michigan.

“Niche, considered the nation’s market leader in connecting colleges and schools with students, releases its rankings once a year after conducting in-depth profiles on every school and college in America,” the press release said. “Cleary once again received top business school marks!”

Cleary was on the list as number 4 last year, but rose to number 3 this year. The University of Michigan – Ann Arbor is number 1 and Michigan State University is number 2.

Niche bases their rankings on a number of factors, including admissions, financial and student life data from the U.S. Department of Education and other public data sources. They also use reviews and survey responses from students, parents and residents. More than 1,000 colleges and universities in the U.S. are reviewed by the organization.

“The goal of Niche is to provide accurate, transparent, comprehensive and credible information for millions of students and families to help them determine the school that best fits their needs. More than 50 million people used Niche last year.

Cleary also made Niche’s Top 20 list of best colleges in Michigan, named in the top 10% for best college for business in the country and was given an A for diversity, dorms and safety.

“Our students are ready for the work world, and our rankings prove it,” Cleary President Dr. Alan Drimmer said. “Our robust faculty of industry professionals bring their real-world experiences into the classroom and countless practical learning opportunities. The added benefit of small class sizes and personalized attention from business leaders pushes Cleary ahead of most business colleges in Michigan. Cleary University also is very proud that we award approximately $10 million in scholarships every year. About 98% of first time, full-time students will receive financial assistance.”

Cleary also scored the top spot in Michigan for its “return on investment among private, nonprofit business schools” from The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity. The university was also named as the 1st in Michigan for earrings one year after graduation and 10 years after graduation.