Michigan State University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
East Lansing, Michigan · Public · Open access · CDS 2025-2026
Michigan State University is a public university in East Lansing, Michigan that admits about 84% of applicants, making it a open access school. The average family pays about $20,751 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Biology, General and Psychology, General, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 81% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 4.3 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Michigan State University is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. For the most recent reporting cycle, Michigan State University admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 84%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1261 and an ACT composite around 26. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $20,751 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Michigan State University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Michigan State University?
Michigan State University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does Michigan State University weight in admissions?
Michigan State University reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2025-2026). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Academic GPA
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Application essay
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Standardized test scores
- • Interview
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • First generation status
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Level of applicant's interest
- • Class rank
- • Recommendations
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
SAT and ACT scores Michigan State University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 570–680, with an EBRW midpoint near 600. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 26–31. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
| 25th percentile | 1100 |
| 50th percentile | 1210 |
| 75th percentile | 1310 |
| % submitting SAT | 51.5% |
| 25th percentile | 25 |
| 50th percentile | 28 |
| 75th percentile | 31 |
| % submitting ACT | 6.8% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Policy detail: Considered if submitted
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 20.18% |
| Top 25% of class | 52.75% |
| Top 50% of class | 90.2% |
| % submitting class rank | 31.51% |
How much does Michigan State University actually cost?
Published tuition is $15,988 for in-state students and $43,372 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $11,754 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $20,751 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 20% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $16,916 |
| Out-of-state tuition | $44,300 |
| Room and board | $12,928 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $20,751 |
| Application fee | $75 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Michigan State University
| Regular deadline | 4/1 |
| Notification date | Rolling, beginning 10/15 |
| Reply deadline | May 1 |
| Rolling admissions | Yes |
| Offers Early Action | Yes |
| EA deadline | 11/1 |
Will my child graduate from Michigan State University?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Most popular majors at Michigan State University
The most popular undergraduate programs at Michigan State University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Biology, General and Psychology, General. Across all programs, Michigan State University confers roughly 3,378 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication program report a median income of about $71,448 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | 552 | $71,448 |
| Biology, General | 521 | $66,211 |
| Psychology, General | 476 | $56,392 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 441 | $66,407 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 425 | $90,299 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 361 | $99,263 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 312 | $68,711 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 290 | $105,539 |
Is Michigan State University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Michigan State University disclosed 178 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 4.3 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 38 violent offenses and 53 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
What is campus life like at Michigan State University?
About 40% of undergraduates at Michigan State University live in campus housing, so a meaningful share of students commute or live off campus. In Greek life, 12% of men join a fraternity and 13% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in Michigan parents ask about
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Michigan State University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Michigan State University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Michigan State University
What GPA do I need for Michigan State University?
Michigan State University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission.
What SAT or ACT score does Michigan State University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 570–680, with an EBRW midpoint near 600. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 26–31.
How much does Michigan State University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Michigan State University after grants and scholarships is $20,751 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Michigan State University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Michigan State University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at Michigan State University?
Michigan State University accepts about 84% of applicants out of roughly 62,965 who apply each year. It admits the majority of qualified applicants.
Is Michigan State University test-optional?
Yes. Michigan State University is test-optional, so SAT and ACT scores are not required, but strong scores can still be submitted and will be considered.
What is the graduation rate at Michigan State University?
About 81% of students at Michigan State University graduate within six years. 91% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
What does Michigan State University look for in applicants?
Michigan State University rates GPA as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is Michigan State University a public or private school, and where is it located?
Michigan State University is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan.
What are the most popular majors at Michigan State University?
The largest undergraduate majors at Michigan State University by annual graduates are Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Biology, General and Psychology, General. The school awards about 3,378 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Michigan State University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Michigan State University reported 178 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 4.3 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at Michigan State University?
At Michigan State University, 40% of undergraduates live on campus, 12% of men are in fraternities, 13% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Data sourced from the 2025-2026 Common Data Set submitted by Michigan State University, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.