Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan · Also known as MSU|Spartans|MI State University|State|MI State U · Website
$67,253
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$67,253
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Michigan State University is a public 4-year college in East Lansing, Michigan with 40,922 undergraduates and 10,855 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $19,680 a year (tuition and fees $16,458 in-state, $43,842 out-of-state). It admits 85% of applicants and 81% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $67,253 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $23,250 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$19,680
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$16,458
Out-of-state $43,842
Admission rate
85%
US median 78%
Completion rate
81%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$23,250
About $246 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$67,253
Rank 455 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
- $19,680
- Tuition in-state
- $16,458
- Tuition out-of-state
- $43,842
- Cost of attendance
- $32,198
- Students with a need-based grant
- 20%
- Students with federal loans
- 34%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $7,068
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $10,830
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $16,521
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $22,703
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $28,546
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 $13,560 in 2015-16 to $16,458 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
- 85%
- Average SAT
- 1,269
- SAT reading, middle
- 600
- SAT math, middle
- 610
- ACT, middle
- 26
- Undergraduates
- 40,922
- Graduate students
- 10,855
- Part-time students
- 6.2%
- Women
- 52%
- Students per teacher
- 17
- Completion rate
- 81%
- Retention rate
- 90%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 350
- Endowment
- $5.0B
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 455 of 5,094 US colleges and 8 of 145 in Michigan (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | MI median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $19,680 | $17,194 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $16,458 | $15,221 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 85% | 81% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 81% | 59% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 90% | 70% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $23,250 | $13,000 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $55,084 | $32,840 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $67,253 | $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. 67% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 80% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
350 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 516 | $25,175 | $26,435 | $64,018 | $57,214 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 496 | $23,630 | $30,164 | $56,040 | $50,706 |
| MedicineProfessional | Professional | 463 | $251,502 | $62,864 | $130,503 | $112,460 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 448 | $21,500 | $71,253 | $91,187 | $68,257 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationBachelor's | Bachelor's | 444 | $22,605 | $45,158 | $69,300 | $63,560 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 372 | $22,500 | $86,192 | $116,905 | $92,374 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 350 | $22,500 | $68,103 | $102,017 | $83,343 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 348 | $25,250 | $36,390 | $60,807 | $56,359 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 298 | $24,580 | $28,045 | $67,290 | $54,562 |
| Mechanical EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 279 | $23,250 | $80,259 | $97,946 | $92,135 |
| EconomicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 274 | $22,231 | $54,013 | $79,428 | $82,686 |
| MarketingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 255 | $22,250 | $57,275 | $90,453 | $69,303 |
| Neurobiology and NeurosciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 247 | $24,232 | $27,183 | $58,046 | $62,451 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 232 | $25,000 | $40,390 | $62,715 | $55,378 |
| LawProfessional | Professional | 231 | $103,630 | $67,554 | $96,342 | $107,773 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 214 | $51,250 | $117,756 | $142,927 | $103,485 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsMaster's | Master's | 201 | $30,375 | $96,585 | $139,589 | $124,807 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 189 | $25,000 | $75,081 | $80,129 | $88,910 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsMaster's | Master's | 167 | $51,024 | $53,352 | $62,675 | $59,571 |
| Engineering-Related FieldsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 160 | $23,375 | $76,563 | $94,143 | $89,619 |
| Education, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 156 | $26,000 | $44,705 | $52,243 | $49,808 |
| SociologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 152 | $25,845 | $35,055 | $62,204 | $52,657 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 148 | $22,500 | $65,965 | $96,093 | $76,194 |
| Animal SciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 140 | $25,023 | $41,292 | $54,751 | $49,634 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 126 | $21,500 | $39,514 | $67,032 | $63,293 |
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 Michigan State University cost?
$19,680 a year is the average net price at Michigan State University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $16,458 for in-state students and $43,842 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $32,198. Families earning under $30,000 pay $7,068 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Michigan State University?
85% of applicants are admitted to Michigan State University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,269 and the middle ACT score is 26. The median admission rate of colleges in Michigan is 81%.
How much do Michigan State University graduates earn?
$67,253 a year is the median pay of former Michigan State University students who work, 10 years after they started ($55,084 after 6 years). That ranks 455 of 5,094 US colleges and 8 of 145 in Michigan. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Business/Commerce, General (Master's) at $133,992.
How much student debt do Michigan State University graduates have?
$23,250 is the median federal student loan debt of Michigan State University graduates, about $246 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 34% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Michigan State University?
81% of first-time, full-time students at Michigan State University finish within 6 years. 90% 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 Michigan State University?
Biology, General (516 bachelor's graduates), Psychology, General (496 bachelor's graduates), Medicine (463 professional graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 350 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.