More selective than 78% of Michigan colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2023 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $27,154. College Scorecard.
Higher than 38% of Michigan colleges we cover and 44% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 33% of Michigan colleges we cover and 38% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Lake Superior State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 2,473 applicants, Lake Superior State University admitted 1,682 and 255 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2023. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Lake Superior State University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Michigan residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Lake Superior State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Lake Superior State University took 4.4 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Michigan. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $3,516 | $15,576 | 1.0 years |
| $30–48k | $9,226 | $40,871 | 2.6 years |
| $48–75k | $10,422 | $46,169 | 3.0 years |
| $75–110k | $14,541 | $64,417 | 4.1 years |
| $110k+ | $20,321 | $90,022 | 5.8 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (38% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($49,045) minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $15,634 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Lake Superior State University majors, earnings & careers
Lake Superior State University offers 48 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 9
- Science & Math · 8
- Business & Finance · 7
- Engineering · 6
- Humanities & Languages · 6
- Health & Medicine · 5
- Education · 3
- Communications & Media · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
Highest-earning majors at Lake Superior State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | $90,216 | $26,901 |
| Nursing | $70,959 | $27,000 |
| Accounting | $60,167 | $24,301 |
| Criminal Justice | $58,286 | $22,852 |
| Geology / Earth Science | $56,905 | — |
| Business Administration | $53,396 | — |
| Biology | $46,435 | — |
| Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management | $44,090 | $25,250 |
Quick list of all 48 majors
- Accounting$60,167
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$46,435
- Business—
- Business Administration$53,396
- Chemistry—
- Communications—
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Science—
- Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications—
- Criminal Justice$58,286
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- Electrical Engineering—
- Entrepreneurship—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Finance—
- Fire Protection—
- Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management$44,090
- Geology / Earth Science$56,905
- History—
- Homeland Security—
- Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians—
- International Business—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Literature—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Mechanical Engineering$90,216
- Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering—
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Nursing$70,959
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management—
- Political Science—
- Psychology—
- Public Health—
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Security / Homeland Security—
- Social Sciences—
- Sociology—
- Special Education—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Criminal Justice → Police officer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Sault Ste Marie
2 bedrooms $1,042.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 34 inches of rain a year, 120 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Chippewa County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Chippewa County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Lake Superior State University with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Michigan by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Superior State University | 68% | $12,822 | 51% | $49,045 | This school |
| Alpena Community College | — | $3,320 | 52% | $36,442 | |
| Bay Mills Community College | — | $3,073 | 30% | $30,048 | |
| University of Michigan-Flint | 70% | $7,007 | 40% | $53,230 | |
| Northwestern Michigan College | — | $6,231 | 25% | $38,167 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Lake Superior State University would cost you $9,502 more per year than Alpena Community College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Lake Superior State University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$9,640).
- Lake Superior State University gives aided families $5,406 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Michigan resident | Lake Superior State University | Alpena Community College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $14,890 | $5,250 | +$9,640 |
| Books & supplies | $2,000 | $1,240 | +$760 |
| Housing & meals | $11,207 | $7,019 | +$4,188 |
| Personal & travel | $1,510 | $1,810 | −$300 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,453 | −$3,073 | +$620 |
| Sticker price | $27,154 | $12,246 | +$14,908 |
| Average grants | −$14,332 | −$8,926 | −$5,406 |
| You pay | $12,822 | $3,320 | +$9,502 |
“+” means Lake Superior State University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Lake Superior State University
What is the Lake Superior State University acceptance rate?
Lake Superior State University accepts 68% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,682 of 2,473 applicants were admitted.
How much does Lake Superior State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $27,154 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $12,822 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $3,516 and families earning $110k+ pay $20,321.
How much do Lake Superior State University graduates earn?
Former Lake Superior State University students earn a median $49,045 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Lake Superior State University graduation rate?
51% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 79% return for their second year.
How long does a Lake Superior State University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Lake Superior State University costs about $46,169 after grants ($10,422 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $49,045 ten years after starting, $15,634 more than high school graduates in Michigan ($33,411), so the cost is repaid in 3.0 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Lake Superior State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/lake-superior-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).