Skip to content
AlmaSpire

East Lansing, MI · Public · 40,922 undergraduates · urban

Michigan State University

Less selective

Michigan State's land-grant breadth is especially visible in agriculture, packaging, supply chain, engineering and applied sciences.

The original uploader was Jeffness at English Wikipedia. / CC BY-SA 2.5

Institutional profile

Highly regarded Strong in career outcomes, and solid in mobility.
Academic Solid Affordability Solid Career Strong Mobility Solid Experience Steady
Academic standing Solid
Affordability Solid
Career outcomes Strong
Mobility Solid
Student experience Steady
Admission
83.9% admitted

58,879 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Resident and nonresident prices differ

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
82.5%

$67,253 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets Michigan State University apart

Academic design

Programs range from agriculture and engineering to packaging, business, communication and the liberal arts.

Campus pattern

East Lansing campus spreads along the Red Cedar River with extensive academic and research land.

Career & value signal

Michigan employers connect especially well with supply chain, manufacturing, automotive, agriculture and food-related programs.

Can I get in?

83.9% admitted

Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.

Recent applicant pool

58,879

About 84 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 83.9%
Entering class

Academic range

SAT middle 50%1150–1350
10201480
ACT middle 50%26–31
2334

Of admitted students, 39% submitted an SAT, and 7% submitted an ACT. The ACT range comes from a small share of admitted students and does not describe the full class.

Entered with a 4.0 GPA38.8%

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

The full entering-class GPA distribution for Michigan State University, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.

See where I land

In the season card

What Michigan State University weighs when it reads a file

See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.

  • Course rigor  
  • GPA  
  • Test scores  
  • Essay  
  • Recommendations  
  • Extracurriculars  
  • Demonstrated interest  
See what counts here

What moves the application

The evidence that separates a strong file

01

Show preparation for this curriculum

Programs range from agriculture and engineering to packaging, business, communication and the liberal arts.

02

Make institutional fit specific

Michigan State's land-grant breadth is especially visible in agriculture, packaging, supply chain, engineering and applied sciences.

03

Use the application route carefully

Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.

How to apply

Rounds, route, and required materials

Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and assemble each required item once.

Early ActionNov 1
Regular DecisionApr 1
Fee and waiver$75 application fee

Fee waiver: u.s. only

Major and program admission

Some fields have their own entry path.

The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.

Performing and visual artsAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

BusinessAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Computer scienceAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Teacher preparationAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

EngineeringAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Hospitality and hotel managementAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

NursingAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Can I afford it?

Compare annual cost by household income.

Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.

Published annual cost$36,962
Average annual cost after aid, in-state$20,000
Affordability profileSolid

College funding

Scholarships and financial aid

Review available aid, application requirements, and renewal terms.

Michigan State University publishes three merit awards. No separate scholarship application is required; the college uses the admission application. two renew past the first year.

Automatic consideration Merit scholarship

Open across the university · Merit · Guaranteed at a stated threshold

Automatic consideration Merit scholarship

Open across the university · Merit · Competitive · Renews

Automatic consideration Merit scholarship

Open across the university · Merit · Competitive · Renews

In the season card

These three awards, by name

What each one is called, what it pays, the grades and scores it asks for, and what to send.

  • The name of each award 
  • What it pays 
  • The grades and scores it asks for 
  • How to be considered 
  • What to send, and where 
See the full read
Open financial aid plan

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at Michigan State University

Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.

  • $0–30k 
  • $30–48k 
  • $48–75k 
  • $75–110k 
  • $110k+ 
Open the price by income

Is it worth it?

Completion, debt, and earnings

Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.

Complete within 8 years82.5%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one90.7%

First-year students who return for year two

Median federal debtWhat students owe on the way out

And what that comes to against what they earn.

Median earnings$67,253

Reported 10 years after enrollment

Academic portfolio

Largest bachelor’s fields

How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.

Biology, General

Recent graduates516
Median earnings$64,018

Psychology, General

Recent graduates496
Median earnings$56,040

Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication

Recent graduates444
Median earnings$69,300

Admits separately

What is campus life like?

Michigan State University beyond the classroom

East Lansing campus spreads along the Red Cedar River with extensive academic and research land.

Academics

A defining academic feature

Programs range from agriculture and engineering to packaging, business, communication and the liberal arts.

Campus setting

What shapes an ordinary week

East Lansing campus spreads along the Red Cedar River with extensive academic and research land.

Career & value

Where the degree can lead

Michigan employers connect especially well with supply chain, manufacturing, automotive, agriculture and food-related programs.

40,922 undergraduatesMidwesturban setting96% of first-year students live on campus