$55,874
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Central Michigan University is a public 4-year college in Mount Pleasant, Michigan with 10,035 undergraduates and 4,295 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $17,597 a year (tuition and fees $14,760). It admits 90% of applicants and 59% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $55,874 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $27,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$17,597
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$14,760
US median $11,837
Admission rate
90%
US median 78%
Completion rate
59%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$27,000
About $286 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$55,874
Rank 1,035 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $17,597
- Tuition and fees
- $14,760
- Cost of attendance
- $30,681
- Students with a need-based grant
- 31%
- Students with federal loans
- 69%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $12,185
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $12,139
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $13,601
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $16,269
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $21,403
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $11,850 in 2015-16 to $14,760 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 90%
- Average SAT
- 1,091
- SAT reading, middle
- 565
- SAT math, middle
- 550
- ACT, middle
- 23
- Undergraduates
- 10,035
- Graduate students
- 4,295
- Part-time students
- 14%
- Women
- 62%
- Students per teacher
- 16
- Completion rate
- 59%
- Retention rate
- 75%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 204
- Endowment
- $265.4M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 1,035 of 5,094 US colleges and 23 of 145 in Michigan (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | MI median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $17,597 | $17,194 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $14,760 | $15,221 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 90% | 81% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 59% | 59% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 75% | 70% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $27,000 | $13,000 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $46,567 | $32,840 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $55,874 | $36,115 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 56% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 76% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
204 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 402 | $33,949 | $77,865 | $96,611 | $103,485 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralMaster's | Master's | 220 | $36,769 | $84,434 | $99,708 | $124,201 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 215 | $27,000 | $31,166 | $53,422 | $50,706 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 189 | $27,000 | $32,850 | $57,771 | $54,562 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 188 | $27,000 | $53,605 | $74,113 | $68,257 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasBachelor's | Bachelor's | 181 | $28,987 | $43,996 | $49,588 | $51,389 |
| Community Organization and AdvocacyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 107 | $26,500 | $49,103 | $58,344 | $51,936 |
| MedicineProfessional | Professional | 100 | $254,007 | $63,654 | $138,552 | $112,460 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 86 | $27,000 | $35,318 | $45,881 | $48,568 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical SciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 84 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| MarketingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 80 | $27,000 | $55,296 | $75,661 | $69,303 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesMaster's | Master's | 71 | $40,035 | $69,952 | $78,586 | $89,981 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationBachelor's | Bachelor's | 65 | $27,000 | $40,346 | $59,522 | $63,560 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 64 | $25,500 | $60,023 | $79,906 | $83,343 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied PsychologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 61 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Computer ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 59 | $26,000 | $74,135 | $89,216 | $107,009 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic ProfessionsProfessional | Professional | 58 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Educational/Instructional Media DesignMaster's | Master's | 56 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Design and Applied ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 56 | $27,500 | $36,917 | $54,254 | $51,490 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 55 | $23,250 | $23,752 | $62,082 | $58,928 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 54 | $26,000 | $36,006 | $50,462 | $63,293 |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 52 | $27,000 | $35,800 | $53,279 | $51,790 |
| Human Resources Management and ServicesMaster's | Master's | 52 | $35,484 | $67,642 | $80,381 | $83,558 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 50 | $27,000 | $45,225 | $49,677 | $47,382 |
| Neurobiology and NeurosciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 49 | $25,000 | $28,220 | $73,316 | $62,451 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: Michigan on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Michigan
- Homes: Homes for sale in Michigan
Questions and answers
How much does Central Michigan University cost?
$17,597 a year is the average net price at Central Michigan University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $14,760, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $30,681. Families earning under $30,000 pay $12,185 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Central Michigan University?
90% of applicants are admitted to Central Michigan University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,091 and the middle ACT score is 23. The median admission rate of colleges in Michigan is 81%.
How much do Central Michigan University graduates earn?
$55,874 a year is the median pay of former Central Michigan University students who work, 10 years after they started ($46,567 after 6 years). That ranks 1,035 of 5,094 US colleges and 23 of 145 in Michigan. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Health and Medical Administrative Services (Doctoral) at $152,055.
How much student debt do Central Michigan University graduates have?
$27,000 is the median federal student loan debt of Central Michigan University graduates, about $286 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 69% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Central Michigan University?
59% of first-time, full-time students at Central Michigan University finish within 6 years. 75% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Central Michigan University?
Business Administration, Management and Operations (402 master's graduates), Computer and Information Sciences, General (220 master's graduates), Psychology, General (215 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 204 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.