How much does the GED cost in Michigan, and when is the HiSET cheaper?
Michigan offers both tests. At a center the HiSET costs $160 for five subtests, against $174 for the four GED subjects; at home the order flips.
Cheaper test in Michigan
HiSET, $14 less
Cheaper first pass of the whole test, before any retake.
| GED, 4 subjects | $174 |
| HiSET, 5 subtests | $160 |
Fees read on ged.com and hiset.org on October 22, 2026. Discounts open to everyone and public codes are included; programs you must qualify for are not.
| GED | HiSET | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per part | $43.50 | $26 |
| Whole test, first pass | $174 | $160 |
| Parts | 4 | 5 |
| Minimum age | 18 | 18 |
| Residency | No residency requirement | No residency requirement |
| Passing rule | 145 on each subject | 8 of 20 on each, 45 in all, essay 2 of 6 |
Prepared by Radif Partners · Method · fees and rules read on ged.com and hiset.org on October 22, 2026
Michigan charges $43.50 per GED subject, at a test center or online, a price in force since July 1, 2023, so the four subjects cost $174. That ranks Michigan 45 of 49 GED jurisdictions by center price. A failed subject at a center comes with one discounted retake for $10; online every retake is full price. Michigan also offers the HiSET: $26 per subtest at a center, on paper or computer, $41 at home, plus a one-time annual state fee of $30. The five subtests therefore cost $160 at a center and $235 at home. So at a center the HiSET is the cheaper test by $14, while from home the GED costs less. Neither test asks for Michigan residency, and Michigan requires no adult education class before the GED. The standard age is 18; from 16, a person out of a regular school program for a calendar year may test, and that year can be waived. GED Ready is not required at a center, only online.
One subject, four attempts
The table follows one GED subject and one HiSET subtest through four attempts in Michigan, with no voucher. On the GED, each full-price subject opens one discounted retake, so attempts alternate between $43.50 and $10 at a center. On the HiSET, the full $26 is due on the first and fourth attempts and $8 on the second and third; the $30 state fee comes on top, once a year.
| Case | Attempt 1 | Attempt 2 | Attempt 3 | Attempt 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GED, test center | $43.50 | $10 | $43.50 | $10 |
| GED, online | $43.50 | $43.50 | $43.50 | $43.50 |
| HiSET, test center | $26 | $8 | $8 | $26 |
Your retakes in Michigan
Attempt 2 of one subtest
$8
| Attempt 1 | $26 |
| Attempt 2 | $8 |
| Total for this subject | $34 |
Center or home decides the cheaper test
At a center, five HiSET subtests with the state fee come to $160 against $174 for the four GED subjects. From home the HiSET jumps to $41 a subtest, $235 in all, while the GED stays at $43.50 online, $174. The rules differ too: the GED asks 145 in each subject; the HiSET asks 8 of 20 in each subtest and 45 in total, so one strong subtest can carry a weaker one. Try the HiSET practice questions beside the GED ones before you choose.
Under 18
The standard age is 18. From 16, you may test once you have been out of a regular school program for a calendar year. The year can be waived for your benefit, if you, the superintendent of the school district or a designee, and a parent, guardian or court agree; the state’s Talent and Investment Agency keeps the signed waiver. Graduates of the Michigan National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program may test from 16 once they are no longer enrolled in high school. At 17, a future member of the armed forces can test with a recruiter’s written request, a letter from a school official and a parent’s authorization. Online, a parent or guardian must attend the check-in, or the session is suspended.
Paying and booking
For the GED, each subject is scheduled and paid in your ged.com account, by debit or credit card at the moment you book, so nothing is due upfront for the four. Michigan does not require an adult education class or GED Ready before a center test, which keeps the minimum cost at $174. A tester who fails one subject once and retakes it at a center pays $184. For the HiSET, the $30 state fee is the part to plan for: it is an annual fee, so a tester whose subtests stretch past its year may pay it again. Finishing the five within that year keeps the HiSET total at $160 at a center.
Retake waits and GED Ready
At a center there is no wait after a first failed attempt; after three attempts at a subject you wait 60 days, with no yearly cap. Online, one retake is allowed before the 60-day wait. GED Ready, $7.99 a subject, is optional at a center and required before each subject online. Michigan sets no extra state condition for passing beyond the test itself. For a neighbor that also offers both tests, see the Ohio page.