NMU Proposes New Arts District

Northern Michigan University biology student Lars Anderson spent the summer conducting undergraduate research at the University of California, Davis, investigating how persistent aquatic pollutants affect fish development and behavior.

Working with researchers in the Whitehead Lab, Anderson studied Atlantic killifish and their responses to noncoplanar polychlorinated biphenyls, or ncPCBs, a class of industrial pollutants commonly found in estuaries along the eastern United States.

U.S. News & World Report recently released its Best Colleges rankings for 2026, and Northern Michigan University continues to rank among the top 20 in value. Among Midwest regional universities, NMU tied for 18th in top public schools. The university ranked 17th in best value for in-state students, and also tied for 29th among best colleges for veterans. See the full rankings here.