Lake Superior State University
Sault Ste Marie, MI · Public · Town (remote) · LSSU
Public institution in Sault Ste Marie, MI · 1,391 undergraduates · 68% acceptance rate · $49,045 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 25%Out-of-state tuition & fees
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $14,368625th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $14,266906th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $14,266509th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $25,757731st cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $23,2501,033rd lowest of 1,865 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $49,0451,121st highest of 1,954 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $42,7671,042nd highest of 1,950 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 56.9%877th highest of 2,014 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 68.8%1,297th highest of 1,837 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 68.0%561st most selective of 1,596 reporting
- Average SAT
- —
- Median ACT
- 23493rd highest of 952 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 1,3911,162nd largest of 2,144 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 13.0:1979th smallest of 2,141 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 29.1%1,251st highest of 2,122 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 300 mi (DTW)
On 2 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- Free
- Personal essay
- Optional / not required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 49 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technology | bachelors | $75,204 | — |
| Mechanical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $69,338 | — |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $58,402 | $58,601 |
| Fire ProtectionHomeland Security & Law Enforcement | bachelors | $48,041 | $47,260 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $40,896 | $33,993 |
| Homeland SecurityHomeland Security & Law Enforcement | bachelors | $38,289 | — |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $37,856 | $35,988 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsHomeland Security & Law Enforcement | bachelors | $37,748 | $39,639 |
| MarketingBusiness | bachelors | $36,134 | $36,312 |
| Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and ManagementNatural Resources | bachelors | $29,685 | $25,194 |
| Psychology, GeneralPsychology | bachelors | $29,685 | — |
| Health and Physical Education/FitnessParks, Recreation & Fitness | bachelors | $28,598 | — |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1946source
- Athletic nickname: "Lakers"source
- Competes in NCAA Division IIsource
- School colors: #003F87 and #FFC61Esource
- Mascot: Seamore the Sea Duck, / Fog Horn the Sailorsource
- Motto: "Believe in Blue / Redefining the Classroom."source
- Campus size: about 115 acressource
- Formerly known as "Sault Ste. Marie Residence Center of the Michigan College of Mining & Technology" (1946–1966)source
- Formerly known as "Lake Superior State College of Michigan Technological University" (1966–1970)source
- Formerly known as "Lake Superior State College" (1970–1987)source
- Athletic conference: CCHAsource
Athletics — 7 sports
NCAA Division II without football · NCAA Division II
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $2,077,237 (M $1,179,442 · W $897,795)
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Similar-size colleges
Nearest undergraduate enrollment to Lake Superior State University’s 1,391 (College Scorecard UGDS, compiled 2026-10-24). Size only — not a judgment of similarity or quality.
In MI
- Cornerstone UniversityGrand Rapids, MI · 1,387 undergrads
- Albion CollegeAlbion, MI · 1,347 undergrads
- College for Creative StudiesDetroit, MI · 1,285 undergrads
- Kettering UniversityFlint, MI · 1,279 undergrads
- Andrews UniversityBerrien Springs, MI · 1,262 undergrads
- Siena Heights UniversityAdrian, MI · 1,533 undergrads
Elsewhere
- William Penn UniversityOskaloosa, IA · 1,391 undergrads
- College of Saint BenedictSaint Joseph, MN · 1,392 undergrads
- Viterbo UniversityLa Crosse, WI · 1,392 undergrads
- Bridgewater CollegeBridgewater, VA · 1,388 undergrads
- Concord UniversityAthens, WV · 1,394 undergrads
- Concordia University TexasAustin, TX · 1,388 undergrads
Key links
- Official websitelssu.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 170639)
- Compare colleges in MIRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in MichiganEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Compare with Cornerstone UniversitySide by side on every Scorecard measure — closest in-state school by enrollment
- Showdown: Lake Superior State University vs Cornerstone UniversityHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 7 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.