Michigan State University (MSU)
Public four-year university in East Lansing, MI that costs an average of $21,322 a year after financial aid, admits 85% of applicants and graduates 80% of full-time students.
Net price / year
$21,322
Acceptance rate
85%
Graduation rate
80%
Earnings after 10 yrs
$74,168
PublicSmall city40,922 undergraduates
Cost of MSU
| Total cost of attendance (per year) | $33,710 |
|---|---|
| Tuition and fees, in-state | $17,256 |
| Tuition and fees, out-of-state | $44,640 |
| Housing and food (on campus) | $12,928 |
| Books and supplies | $1,420 |
| Average net price after aid | $21,322 |
Net price by family income
| Family income | Average net price / year |
|---|---|
| $0–30,000 | $11,741 |
| $30,001–48,000 | $11,883 |
| $48,001–75,000 | $14,300 |
| $75,001–110,000 | $22,082 |
| $110,001+ | $30,356 |
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships (in-state students). Get your own estimate with MSU's net price calculator ↗.
Admissions
| Acceptance rate | 85% |
|---|---|
| Average SAT | 1,269 |
| SAT reading (25th–75th percentile) | 590–680 |
| SAT math (25th–75th percentile) | 590–680 |
| ACT composite (25th–75th percentile) | 25–31 |
| Test scores | Considered but not required |
Graduation, earnings and debt
| Graduation rate | 80% |
|---|---|
| First-year retention | 90% |
| Median earnings 6 years after enrolling | $61,149 |
| Median earnings 10 years after enrolling | $74,168 |
| Rank in Michigan (earnings) | 6th of 43 similar colleges |
| Median debt of graduates | $20,000 |
| Typical monthly loan payment | $227 (10-year plan) |
| Students with Pell grants | 24% |
| Students with federal loans | 37% |
Majors and programs at MSU
Earnings one year after graduation and median debt, by program. Click a program for details and comparisons.
Bachelor's degree programs (104)
Certificate programs (87)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computational Science | — | $58,845 | $20,687 |
| Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services | 53 | $52,992 | — |
| Sociology | — | $44,453 | — |
| Public Health | — | $41,687 | — |
| Psychology | — | $41,200 | $19,500 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | $39,982 | — |
| Agricultural Production Operations | 97 | $34,611 | — |
| Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities | — | $31,459 | — |
| Agricultural and Food Products Processing | 5 | — | — |
| Agricultural Business and Management | 12 | — | — |
| Animal Sciences | 20 | — | — |
| Anthropology | — | — | — |
| Applied Mathematics | — | — | — |
| Area Studies | — | — | — |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | — | — | — |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | — | — | — |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | — | — | — |
| Biology | — | — | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | — | — | — |
| Chemistry | — | — | — |
| Classical and Ancient Studies | — | — | — |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions | — | — | — |
| Communication and Media Studies | — | — | — |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | — | — | — |
| Computer Engineering | — | — | — |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | — | — | $21,250 |
| Dance | — | — | — |
| Design and Applied Arts | — | — | — |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | — | — | — |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | — | — | — |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | — | — |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | — | — | — |
| Economics | — | — | — |
| Electrical and Power Transmission Installers | 29 | — | — |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | — | — | — |
| English Language and Literature | — | — | — |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | — | — | — |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | — | — | — |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | — | — | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts | — | — | — |
| Food Science and Technology | 4 | — | — |
| Forestry | — | — | — |
| Genetics | — | — | — |
| Geography and Cartography | — | — | — |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | — | — | — |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | — | — |
| History | — | — | — |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | — | — | — |
| Human Resources Management and Services | — | — | — |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | — | — | — |
| International/Globalization Studies | — | — | — |
| Journalism | — | — | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | — | — | — |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | — | — | — |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | — | — | — |
| Materials Engineering | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | — | — | — |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | — | — | — |
| Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | — | — |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | — | — | — |
| Music | — | — | — |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | — | — | — |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | — | — | — |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | — | — | — |
| Nutrition Sciences | — | — | — |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | — | — | — |
| Philosophy | — | — | — |
| Physics | — | — | — |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | — | — | — |
| Plant Sciences | — | — | — |
| Political Science and Government | — | — | — |
| Public Policy Analysis | — | — | — |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | — | — | — |
| Religion/Religious Studies | — | — | — |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | — | — | — |
| Science, Technology and Society | — | — | — |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | — | — |
| Social Sciences | — | — | — |
| Social Sciences, Other | — | — | — |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | — | — | — |
| Statistics | — | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | — | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | — | — | — |
| Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language | — | — | — |
| Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians | 6 | — | — |
| Visual and Performing Arts | — | — | — |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | — | — | — |
Master's degree programs (107)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business/Commerce | 229 | $142,037 | $89,206 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 53 | $130,247 | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 390 | $121,954 | $52,543 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 79 | $109,471 | — |
| Food Science and Technology | 90 | $94,811 | — |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 111 | $92,004 | $28,231 |
| Marketing | 75 | $82,942 | $33,000 |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other | 103 | $79,401 | $51,000 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | 108 | $76,048 | $28,749 |
| Accounting and Related Services | — | $75,306 | — |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 429 | $75,294 | $30,918 |
| Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other | 127 | $67,529 | $31,981 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 59 | $65,662 | $50,350 |
| Education | 41 | $65,432 | — |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | 51 | $65,297 | — |
| Public Health | 100 | $62,744 | $29,936 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | 38 | $62,399 | — |
| Public Policy Analysis | 27 | $61,127 | — |
| Educational/Instructional Media Design | 38 | $60,639 | — |
| Special Education and Teaching | 54 | $59,271 | $30,014 |
| Curriculum and Instruction | 120 | $58,727 | — |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 50 | $57,382 | — |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | 342 | $56,510 | $56,250 |
| Social Work | 43 | $56,418 | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 87 | $54,535 | — |
| Nutrition Sciences | 23 | $53,933 | — |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | 30 | $52,917 | — |
| Music | 112 | $51,726 | $33,887 |
| Agricultural Business and Management | — | — | — |
| Agricultural Engineering | 14 | — | — |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 24 | — | — |
| Animal Sciences | 15 | — | — |
| Anthropology | 8 | — | — |
| Applied Mathematics | 5 | — | — |
| Area Studies | 2 | — | — |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | 11 | — | — |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | 5 | — | — |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 2 | — | — |
| Biology | 16 | — | — |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | 10 | — | — |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 5 | — | — |
| Botany/Plant Biology | 14 | — | — |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | — | — | — |
| Chemical Engineering | 6 | — | — |
| Chemistry | 15 | — | — |
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | — | — | — |
| Civil Engineering | 29 | — | — |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | 37 | — | — |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions | 7 | — | — |
| Communication and Media Studies | 11 | — | — |
| Computational Science | 44 | — | — |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | 20 | — | — |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 15 | — | — |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | 11 | — | — |
| Economics | 22 | — | — |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 52 | — | — |
| Engineering Mechanics | 3 | — | — |
| Engineering-Related Fields | 40 | — | — |
| English Language and Literature | 5 | — | — |
| Environmental Design | 12 | — | — |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 16 | — | — |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | 13 | — | — |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | — | — | — |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 12 | — | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 9 | — | — |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | 2 | — | — |
| Forestry | 9 | — | — |
| Genetics | 6 | — | — |
| Geography and Cartography | — | — | — |
| Geography and Environmental Studies | 9 | — | — |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 8 | — | — |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 1 | — | — |
| History | 1 | — | — |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 9 | — | — |
| Journalism | 23 | — | — |
| Legal Professions and Studies, Other | 50 | — | — |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | 1 | — | — |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 2 | — | — |
| Materials Sciences | 7 | — | — |
| Mathematics | 5 | — | — |
| Mechanical Engineering | 53 | — | — |
| Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies | — | — | — |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | 10 | — | — |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 5 | — | — |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | 3 | — | — |
| Pharmacology and Toxicology | 86 | — | — |
| Philosophy | — | — | — |
| Physics | 41 | — | — |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | 1 | — | — |
| Plant Sciences | 7 | — | — |
| Political Science and Government | 10 | — | — |
| Psychology | 19 | — | — |
| Psychology, Other | 9 | — | — |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | 12 | — | — |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 8 | — | — |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 4 | — | — |
| Security Science and Technology | 33 | — | — |
| Social Sciences | 2 | — | — |
| Sociology | 4 | — | — |
| Soil Sciences | 14 | — | — |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 10 | — | — |
| Statistics | 24 | — | — |
| Sustainability Studies | 36 | — | — |
| Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language | 14 | — | — |
| Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences | — | — | — |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management | 21 | — | — |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | 15 | — | — |
Doctoral degree programs (81)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Educational Administration and Supervision | 44 | $103,046 | — |
| Chemistry | 58 | $87,223 | — |
| Music | 96 | $54,970 | — |
| Accounting and Related Services | 7 | — | — |
| Agricultural Business and Management | — | — | — |
| Agricultural Engineering | 10 | — | — |
| Animal Sciences | 14 | — | — |
| Anthropology | 11 | — | — |
| Applied Mathematics | 11 | — | — |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | 7 | — | — |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 15 | — | — |
| Biology | 23 | — | — |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | 4 | — | — |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 21 | — | — |
| Botany/Plant Biology | 18 | — | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 9 | — | — |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | 9 | — | — |
| Chemical Engineering | 15 | — | — |
| Civil Engineering | 29 | — | — |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | 7 | — | — |
| Communication and Media Studies | 22 | — | — |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 2 | — | — |
| Computational Science | 46 | — | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 43 | — | — |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | 6 | — | — |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 17 | — | — |
| Curriculum and Instruction | 27 | — | — |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | 35 | — | — |
| Economics | 54 | — | — |
| Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | 3 | — | — |
| Educational/Instructional Media Design | 15 | — | — |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 43 | — | — |
| Engineering Mechanics | — | — | — |
| Engineering-Related Fields | 6 | — | — |
| English Language and Literature | 14 | — | — |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 6 | — | — |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | 10 | — | — |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 9 | — | — |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 4 | — | — |
| Food Science and Technology | 4 | — | — |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | 4 | — | — |
| Forestry | 5 | — | — |
| Genetics | 15 | — | — |
| Geography and Cartography | — | — | — |
| Geography and Environmental Studies | 12 | — | — |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 7 | — | — |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 1 | — | — |
| History | 13 | — | — |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 19 | — | — |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 6 | — | — |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 17 | — | — |
| Management Information Systems and Services | 2 | — | — |
| Marketing | 6 | — | — |
| Materials Sciences | 15 | — | — |
| Mathematics | 22 | — | — |
| Mechanical Engineering | 51 | — | — |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | 20 | — | — |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 18 | — | — |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 1 | — | — |
| Pharmacology and Toxicology | 26 | — | — |
| Philosophy | 3 | — | — |
| Physics | 51 | — | — |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | 6 | — | — |
| Plant Sciences | 6 | — | — |
| Political Science and Government | 10 | — | — |
| Psychology | 28 | — | — |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | 10 | — | — |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 6 | — | — |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | 4 | — | — |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 10 | — | — |
| Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education | 8 | — | — |
| Social Work | 3 | — | — |
| Sociology | 8 | — | — |
| Soil Sciences | 3 | — | — |
| Special Education and Teaching | 5 | — | — |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 16 | — | — |
| Statistics | 12 | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 9 | — | — |
| Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences | — | — | — |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management | 18 | — | — |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | 9 | — | — |
Professional degree programs (7)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veterinary Medicine | 219 | $110,119 | $185,673 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 112 | $109,778 | $80,980 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | — | $105,043 | — |
| Legal Professions and Studies, Other | — | $104,235 | — |
| Law | 486 | $73,787 | $86,596 |
| Medicine | 917 | $62,429 | $262,566 |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | — | — | — |
Graduate certificate programs (42)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Educational/Instructional Media Design | 79 | $62,152 | — |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | 20 | $58,427 | — |
| Accounting and Related Services | 4 | — | — |
| Area Studies | 1 | — | — |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | 4 | — | — |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | 7 | — | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 37 | — | — |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | 11 | — | — |
| Communication and Media Studies | 12 | — | — |
| Computational Science | 32 | — | — |
| Design and Applied Arts | 18 | — | — |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | 1 | — | — |
| Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | 3 | — | — |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 6 | — | — |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 4 | — | — |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 1 | — | — |
| Food Science and Technology | 6 | — | — |
| Forestry | 11 | — | — |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | 42 | — | — |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | — | — | — |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 6 | — | — |
| International/Globalization Studies | 3 | — | — |
| Journalism | — | — | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 10 | — | — |
| Literature | — | — | — |
| Museology/Museum Studies | 2 | — | — |
| Music | 4 | — | — |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | — | — | — |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 33 | — | — |
| Pharmacology and Toxicology | — | — | — |
| Physics | 4 | — | — |
| Psychology, Other | 17 | — | — |
| Public Health | 16 | — | — |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | 33 | — | — |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 10 | — | — |
| Security Science and Technology | 10 | — | — |
| Social Sciences, Other | 2 | — | — |
| Special Education and Teaching | — | — | — |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 2 | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | — | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 27 | — | — |
| Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language | 1 | — | — |
Similar colleges in Michigan
| College | City | Net price / yr | Acceptance | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | Ann Arbor | $14,362 | 16% | $92,832 |
| Grand Valley State University | Allendale | $16,495 | 83% | $60,120 |
| Wayne State University | Detroit | $11,212 | 81% | $59,525 |
| Western Michigan University | Kalamazoo | $13,902 | 85% | $57,828 |
| Oakland University | Rochester Hills | $11,815 | 88% | $63,565 |
| Eastern Michigan University | Ypsilanti | $16,628 | 80% | $55,390 |
| Central Michigan University | Mount Pleasant | $17,201 | 90% | $59,879 |
| Ferris State University | Big Rapids | $8,402 | 91% | $60,457 |
About MSU
| Type | Public four-year university |
|---|---|
| Location | East Lansing, MI |
| Setting | Small city |
| Undergraduates | 40,922 |
| Student-to-faculty ratio | 17 to 1 |
| Accreditor | Higher Learning Commission |
| Website | msu.edu ↗ |
Frequently asked questions
What is MSU's acceptance rate?
Michigan State University admits 85% of applicants. Admitted students average 1,269 on the SAT.
How much does MSU cost per year?
The full cost of attendance is $33,710 a year (tuition and fees: $17,256 in-state, $44,640 out-of-state). After grants and scholarships the average student pays $21,322 a year, and students from families earning under $30,000 pay about $11,741.
How much do MSU graduates earn?
Former students earn a median of $74,168 a year, 10 years after first enrolling — 6th of 43 similar colleges in Michigan. The best-paid bachelor's program is computer engineering ($88,605 a year after graduation).
What is MSU's graduation rate?
80% of full-time students graduate within six years, and 90% of first-year students return for a second year.