$54,735
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Ferris State University is a public 4-year college in Big Rapids, Michigan with 8,106 undergraduates and 968 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $8,624 a year (tuition and fees $14,778). It admits 91% of applicants and 47% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $54,735 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $21,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$8,624
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$14,778
US median $11,837
Admission rate
91%
US median 78%
Completion rate
47%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$21,000
About $223 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$54,735
Rank 1,125 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
- $8,624
- Tuition and fees
- $14,778
- Cost of attendance
- $27,048
- Students with a need-based grant
- 34%
- Students with federal loans
- 43%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $2,556
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $4,315
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $7,638
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $12,485
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $18,603
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 $10,970 in 2015-16 to $14,778 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
- 91%
- Average SAT
- 1,012
- SAT reading, middle
- 525
- SAT math, middle
- 515
- ACT, middle
- 23
- Undergraduates
- 8,106
- Graduate students
- 968
- Part-time students
- 19%
- Women
- 54%
- Students per teacher
- 15
- Completion rate
- 47%
- Retention rate
- 78%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 188
- Endowment
- $127.5M
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 1,125 of 5,094 US colleges and 26 of 145 in Michigan (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | MI median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $8,624 | $17,194 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $14,778 | $15,221 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 91% | 81% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 47% | 59% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 78% | 70% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $21,000 | $13,000 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $47,339 | $32,840 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $54,735 | $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. 59% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 75% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
188 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 OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 171 | $19,799 | $48,535 | $64,131 | $68,257 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 164 | $18,750 | $44,897 | $60,325 | $55,378 |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and AdministrationProfessional | Professional | 123 | $103,000 | $113,856 | $136,836 | $138,348 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 97 | $21,411 | $74,851 | $81,718 | $88,910 |
| Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansBachelor's | Bachelor's | 86 | $23,451 | $78,820 | $91,993 | $80,890 |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/TechniciansBachelor's | Bachelor's | 84 | $23,500 | $66,747 | $82,821 | $82,073 |
| Design and Applied ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 83 | $25,500 | $34,045 | $50,658 | $51,490 |
| Graphic CommunicationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 62 | $27,000 | $30,059 | $44,116 | $43,283 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 62 | $24,817 | $42,608 | $45,053 | $47,382 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 62 | $23,646 | $38,583 | $54,837 | $53,072 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's | Associate's | 58 | $18,357 | $48,203 | $54,494 | $46,706 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 57 | $23,250 | $27,334 | $56,878 | $57,214 |
| Quality Control and Safety Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 54 | $19,594 | $67,753 | $85,477 | $62,511 |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 54 | $24,915 | $38,870 | $53,351 | $51,790 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, OtherBachelor's | Bachelor's | 54 | $26,000 | $50,543 | $62,718 | $68,245 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 51 | $22,000 | $51,971 | $60,809 | $65,389 |
| Construction ManagementBachelor's | Bachelor's | 51 | $20,468 | $73,292 | $90,504 | $95,124 |
| Precision Metal WorkingAssociate's | Associate's | 50 | $16,303 | $56,811 | $86,941 | $56,451 |
| Manufacturing EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 43 | $16,052 | $68,715 | $80,996 | $88,451 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, OtherAssociate's | Associate's | 43 | $17,500 | $35,232 | $58,334 | $48,027 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 42 | $26,789 | $29,503 | $49,596 | $50,706 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 41 | Withheld | $68,630 | $88,737 | $35,447 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 41 | $20,000 | $46,359 | $53,742 | $76,194 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 39 | $25,000 | $49,748 | $59,590 | $61,982 |
| Educational Administration and SupervisionDoctoral | Doctoral | 38 | $56,120 | $96,834 | $106,347 | $100,573 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Big Rapids and Michigan on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Michigan
- Homes: Homes for sale in Michigan
Questions and answers
How much does Ferris State University cost?
$8,624 a year is the average net price at Ferris State University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $14,778, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $27,048. Families earning under $30,000 pay $2,556 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Ferris State University?
91% of applicants are admitted to Ferris State University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,012 and the middle ACT score is 23. The median admission rate of colleges in Michigan is 81%.
How much do Ferris State University graduates earn?
$54,735 a year is the median pay of former Ferris State University students who work, 10 years after they started ($47,339 after 6 years). That ranks 1,125 of 5,094 US colleges and 26 of 145 in Michigan. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Professional) at $113,856.
How much student debt do Ferris State University graduates have?
$21,000 is the median federal student loan debt of Ferris State University graduates, about $223 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 43% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Ferris State University?
47% of first-time, full-time students at Ferris State University finish within 6 years. 78% 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 Ferris State University?
Business Administration, Management and Operations (171 bachelor's graduates), Criminal Justice and Corrections (164 bachelor's graduates), Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (123 professional graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 188 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.