More selective than 24% of Michigan colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $32,198. College Scorecard.
Higher than 96% of Michigan colleges we cover and 90% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 88% of Michigan colleges we cover and 82% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
MSU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 58,879 applicants, Michigan State University admitted 49,414 and 9,533 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1180–1360 on the SAT or 25–31 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
MSU 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 MSU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Michigan State University took 4.2 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 | $7,068 | $29,968 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $10,830 | $45,919 | 1.4 years |
| $48–75k | $16,521 | $70,049 | 2.1 years |
| $75–110k | $22,703 | $96,261 | 2.8 years |
| $110k+ | $28,546 | $121,035 | 3.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (65% 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 ($67,253) minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $33,842 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.
MSU majors, earnings & careers
Michigan State University offers 105 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 28
- Humanities & Languages · 15
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 15
- Engineering · 13
- Business & Finance · 9
- Health & Medicine · 9
- Arts & Design · 6
- Communications & Media · 4
- Education · 3
- Technology & Computing · 3
Highest-earning majors at MSU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | $116,905 | $24,022 |
| Computer Engineering | $104,627 | $24,999 |
| Engineering | $102,301 | $22,500 |
| Chemical Engineering | $102,223 | $26,573 |
| Finance | $102,017 | $23,250 |
| Electrical Engineering | $100,481 | $22,500 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $97,946 | $24,000 |
| Management Science / Analytics | $97,236 | $23,250 |
Quick list of all 105 majors
- Accounting$96,093
- Agricultural Business$69,108
- Agricultural Engineering$86,498
- Agriculture / Veterinary Preparatory Programs—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$51,658
- Animal Sciences$54,751
- Anthropology$41,512
- Applied Mathematics—
- Astronomy and Astrophysics—
- Biochemistry$63,419
- Biological and Physical Sciences—
- Biology$64,018
- Botany / Plant Biology—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business Administration$91,187
- Chemical Engineering$102,223
- Chemistry$65,983
- City / Urban, Community, and Regional Planning$71,158
- Civil Engineering$90,650
- Communications$60,807
- Computational Science—
- Computer and Information Sciences$116,905
- Computer Engineering$104,627
- Construction Engineering Technology / Technician$95,387
- Criminal Justice$62,715
- Dietetics$58,989
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)$52,496
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology$55,159
- Economics$79,428
- Education$52,243
- Education (Subject Teaching)$50,127
- Electrical Engineering$100,481
- Engineering$102,301
- Engineering-Related Fields$94,143
- Engineering, Other$79,609
- English$49,154
- Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy$68,913
- Environmental Science / Conservation$60,728
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Film and Photography—
- Finance$102,017
- Food Science and Technology$70,380
- Forestry$55,724
- Genetics$55,404
- Geography$56,515
- Geology / Earth Science$62,448
- German$53,183
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$53,250
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other—
- History$47,224
- Hospitality Management$69,651
- Human Development and Family Studies$53,740
- Human Resources$85,886
- Information Technology$73,880
- International / Global Studies$64,372
- International Relations$74,709
- Journalism$59,498
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$67,290
- Landscape Architecture—
- Legal Studies / Paralegal$72,414
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$51,436
- Linguistics$65,667
- Management Science / Analytics$97,236
- Marketing$90,453
- Materials Engineering$95,761
- Mathematics$72,226
- Mechanical Engineering$97,946
- Medical Laboratory Science$70,940
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology$61,953
- Middle / Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics$75,147
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$45,167
- Music$52,132
- Neuroscience$58,046
- Nursing$80,129
- Nutrition Science$66,437
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management$49,377
- Philosophy—
- Physical Sciences—
- Physics—
- Physiology$61,309
- Plant Sciences$47,404
- Political Science$67,032
- Psychology$56,040
- Public Administration—
- Public Policy Analysis$58,535
- Public Relations and Advertising$69,300
- Religious Studies—
- Science, Technology and Society—
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Social Sciences$58,797
- Social Work$57,321
- Sociology$62,204
- Soil Sciences$67,666
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$59,315
- Special Education$58,522
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders—
- Statistics$93,930
- Studio Art$50,098
- Sustainability Studies—
- Theatre$42,820
- Veterinary / Animal Health Technologies / Technicians$46,669
- Visual and Performing Arts—
- Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management$49,948
- Writing$56,662
- Zoology / Animal Biology$41,768
— 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 →Public Relations and Advertising → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Lansing
Overall prices in the Lansing-East Lansing, MI area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,323. Housing costs 17% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 34 inches of rain a year, 36 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Ingham County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Ingham County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare MSU 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State University | 85% | $19,680 | 81% | $67,253 | This school |
| Grand Valley State University | 83% | $16,317 | 67% | $56,118 | |
| Western Michigan University | 85% | $15,273 | 58% | $53,562 | |
| Wayne State University | 81% | $12,766 | 58% | $53,493 | |
| Oakland University | 88% | $9,120 | 58% | $58,612 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Michigan State University would cost you $3,363 more per year than Grand Valley State University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Michigan State University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$1,318).
- Michigan State University gives aided families $468 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Michigan resident | MSU | GVSU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $16,458 | $15,140 | +$1,318 |
| Books & supplies | $1,334 | $780 | +$554 |
| Housing & meals | $11,754 | $11,142 | +$612 |
| Personal & travel | $3,592 | $2,477 | +$1,115 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$940 | −$1,172 | +$232 |
| Sticker price | $32,198 | $28,367 | +$3,831 |
| Average grants | −$12,518 | −$12,050 | −$468 |
| You pay | $19,680 | $16,317 | +$3,363 |
“+” means MSU 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 MSU
What is the MSU acceptance rate?
Michigan State University accepts 85% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 49,414 of 58,879 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1180–1360 on the SAT or 25–31 on the ACT.
How much does Michigan State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $32,198 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $19,680 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $7,068 and families earning $110k+ pay $28,546.
How much do MSU graduates earn?
Former Michigan State University students earn a median $67,253 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the MSU graduation rate?
81% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 90% return for their second year.
How long does a MSU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Michigan State University costs about $70,049 after grants ($16,521 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $67,253 ten years after starting, $33,842 more than high school graduates in Michigan ($33,411), so the cost is repaid in 2.1 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: “Michigan State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/michigan-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).