Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI · Public · Big Ten
Navora's full analysis of Michigan State University — where an applicant's profile stands against the published cohort, requirements tracking, essays and deadlines — is free with an account.
See the full analysis — freeAdmission rate
Michigan State University admitted 83.2% of applicants university-wide (52,411 of 62,965).
| Cohort | Admit rate | Admitted | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| University-wide | 83.2% | 52,411 | 62,965 |
| In-state | 83.9% | 21,067 | 25,102 |
| Out-of-state | 81.5% | 25,087 | 30,768 |
| International applicants | 88.2% | 6,257 | 7,095 |
| Men | 82.9% | 24,194 | 29,174 |
| Women | 83.5% | 28,194 | 33,760 |
Also offers Early Action (closes Nov 1) — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.
Of 52,411 admitted students, 9,355 enrolled (17.8% yield).
Michigan State University Common Data Set 2025-2026 · Sections C1–C2 · 2025 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.
Test scores and GPA of admitted students
- SAT (mid-50%)
- 1100–1310
- ACT (mid-50%)
- 25–31
- GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
- 3.50–3.99
Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)
Michigan State University Common Data Set 2025-2026 · Sections C9–C12 · 2025 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.
Cost and financial aid
Published cost of attendance: $65,564/yr.
| Out-of-state tuition | $45,636 |
| Fees, housing, food, books & other | $19,928 |
| Sticker cost of attendance | $65,564/yr |
Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)
| Under $30k | $7,068 |
| $30k–48k | $10,830 |
| $48k–75k | $16,521 |
| $75k–110k | $22,703 |
| Over $110k | $28,546 |
US applicants
Need- and merit-based aid available.
- Distinguished Freshman Scholarships — $5,000 - $15,000 per year (Merit)
- National Merit Scholarship — $2,000 per year (Merit)
- College-Specific Scholarships — Varies (Departmental)
- Spartan Advantage Program — Full tuition, fees, room and board, plus $5,000 for education expenses (Full Tuition)
- Spartan Compact — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
International applicants
Some aid available for internationals.
- Distinguished Freshman Scholarships — $5,000 - $15,000 per year (Merit)
- International Student Scholarship — $7,500-$15,000 per year (International Aid)
- International Student Grant — Up to $10,000 per year (Need Based)
- College-Specific Scholarships — Varies (Departmental)
- Spartan Advantage Program — Full tuition, fees, room and board, plus $5,000 for education expenses (Full Tuition)
Michigan State University Common Data Set 2025-2026 · Sections G–H · 2025
Application requirements
US applicants
- Official Transcripts
- Personal Essay
- ACT or SAT Scores (recommended)
- Application fee
International applicants
- Official Transcripts
- Personal Essay
- ACT or SAT Scores (recommended)
- Application fee
- English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
- GPA credential conversion
- Predicted Class XII marksheet
- Financial documentation (I-20)
Michigan State University · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025
Essay prompts
The Common App personal essay is required (one of 7 shared prompts).
Draft these in the free Essay Coach
Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 3, 2026
Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings
- $67,253
- Median earnings · 10 years after entry
- Graduation rate
- 80.7%
- Within 150% of normal time
- First-year retention
- 91%
- Return for year two · CDS Section B
- Median debt
- $23,250
- At graduation
Michigan State University · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.
Published rankings
- U.S. News National: #64
- WSJ: #114
- Forbes: #79
- Niche: #101
- QS: #161
Deadlines
- 2026-11-01Early Action — Non-binding early round
- 2027-04-01Regular Decision — Standard deadline
Michigan State University Common Data Set 2025-2026 · Sections C21–C22 · 2025
Academics and campus
Largest degree fields: Business & marketing (15%), Biological & life sciences (13%), Engineering (8%).
Student–faculty ratio: 17:1.
Michigan State University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.