Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI · Public · Small city · Carnegie R1/R2 · MI State U · MI State University · MSU · Spartans · State

Public institution in East Lansing, MI · 40,243 undergraduates · 84% acceptance rate · $67,253 median earnings 10 years after entry.

Top 1%Undergraduates
Top 9%Graduation rate (4-year)
Top 11%Full-time retention
Top 17%Median earnings, 10 years after entry

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: $20,7511,143rd cheapest of 1,985 reporting
In-state tuition & fees: $15,988993rd cheapest of 2,042 reporting
Out-of-state tuition & fees: $43,3721,709th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
Cost of attendance: $30,528961st cheapest of 1,985 reporting
Median graduate debt: $23,2501,040th lowest of 1,880 reporting

Outcomes

Median earnings, 10 years after entry: $67,253335th highest of 1,969 reporting
Median earnings, 6 years after entry: $55,084343rd highest of 1,964 reporting
Graduation rate (4-year): 82.2%180th highest of 2,031 reporting
Full-time retention: 91.4%209th highest of 1,853 reporting

Admissions

Acceptance rate: 83.9%1,039th most selective of 1,608 reporting
Average SAT: 1261254th highest of 1,024 reporting
Median ACT: 26270th highest of 954 reporting

Campus

Undergraduates: 40,24317th largest of 2,162 reporting
Student-faculty ratio: 17.0:11,598th smallest of 2,159 reporting
Pell Grant share: 20.0%1,722nd highest of 2,140 reporting

Nearest large-hub airport: 67 mi (DTW)

On 5 of our 111 lists

Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.

Applying

EANov 1
RDApr 1

Common App member: Yes
Application fee: $75
Personal essay: 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 102 reported programs.

Field	Level	1 yr	2 yr
Computer EngineeringEngineering	bachelors	$76,998	$80,133
Electrical, Electronics and Communications EngineeringEngineering	bachelors	$76,460	$77,115
Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralComputer Science	bachelors	$75,814	$75,291
Mechanical EngineeringEngineering	bachelors	$72,327	$75,936
Construction Engineering TechnologiesEngineering Technology	bachelors	$71,295	$68,422
Chemical EngineeringEngineering	bachelors	$70,680	$71,351
Materials EngineeringEngineering	bachelors	$69,817	$69,338
Engineering, GeneralEngineering	bachelors	$67,548	$63,997
Engineering-Related FieldsEngineering Technology	bachelors	$66,768	$67,429
Civil EngineeringEngineering	bachelors	$65,295	$63,788
Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness	bachelors	$63,005	$62,654
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions	bachelors	$61,498	$61,634

Campus facts

Founded in 1855source
Athletic nickname: "Spartans"source
Mascot: Spartysource
Spartan Stadium seats about 75,005source
Competes in NCAA Division Isource
Motto: ""Spartans Will.""source
Campus size: about 5,200 acressource
Formerly known as "{{collapsible list"source
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Formerly known as "| title=|Agricultural College of the State of Michigan" (1855–1861)source
Formerly known as "State Agricultural College" (1861–1909)source
Formerly known as "Michigan Agricultural College" (1909–1925)source
Formerly known as "Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science" (1925–1955)source
Formerly known as "Michigan State University of Agriculture and Applied Science (1955–1964)}}"source
Athletic conference: Big Tensource
A [[National Sea Grant College Program institutionsource
A sea-grant]] institutionsource
A [[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program institutionsource
A space-grant]] }} institutionsource
Plays for the "Land Grant Trophy" (since 1914)source
Football rivalry: Chicago–Michigan (since 1892)source
Football rivalry: Illinois–Michigan (since 1898)source
Plays for the "Old Brass Spittoon" (since 1922)source
Plays for the "Paul Bunyan Trophy" (since 1898)source
Plays for the "Paul Bunyan Trophy" (since 1898)source
Plays for the "Little Brown Jug" (since 1892)source
Plays for the "George Jewitt Trophy" (since 1892)source
Football rivalry: Michigan–Notre Dame (since 1887)source
Football rivalry: Michigan–Penn State (since 1993)source
Plays for the "Megaphone Trophy" (since 1897)source
Football rivalry: The Game (since 1897)source
Plays for the "Miner's Cup" (since 1920)source
1 Nobel laureate affiliatedsource
Fight song: ""[[The Victors]]""source
Notable alum: Magic Johnsonsource
Notable alum: James Caansource
Notable alum: Sam Raimisource
Notable alum: Alfred Hersheysource
Notable alum: Michael Ciminosource

Athletics — 14 sports

NCAA Division I-FBS · NCAA Division I

Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $19,484,982 (M $11,243,351 · W $8,241,631)

Ice Hockey: 2007

Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.