Michigan State University

=116th
World University Rankings 2024
=25th
Impact Rankings 2024
=81st
US College Rankings 2022
220 Trowbridge Road, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, United States

About Michigan State University

Michigan State University (MSU) was created in 1855 and was the first of America’s “land-grant” universities  -- institutions handed land to create an environment “where the leading object shall be, without excluding other scientific and classical studies and including military tactics, to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts...in order to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions of life.”

Today, MSU is one of the largest institutions in the US in terms of enrolment, with over 50,000 students, and is sprawled across a 5,200-acre campus in East Lansing. Its alumni reach is over 540,000 strong, spread all over the world.

MSU is a multi-disciplinary research institution and this is reflected in its diverse range of accolades. Alfred D. Hershey, who took his undergraduate and doctoral degrees at MSU, won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1969, while one of the world’s greatest ever basketball players Earvin “Magic” Johnson was a keen student at the university before being drafted by the NBA. MSU’s College of Communication Arts and Sciences has a particularly rich history, cultivating eight Pulitzer Prize winners. Richard Ford, another Pulitzer Prize winner for his novel Independence Day, also studied at MSU.

MSU students are dubbed ‘Spartans’ when they enter the institution and the university’s large sports programme, which has 25 varsity squads.

Explore rankings data for Michigan State University

All ranked institutions have an overall score and 4 pillar scores. However for each pillar, only institutions ranked in the top 500 overall or the top 500 in this pillar have a publicly visible score

Compare universities on their key stats

Key statistics

  • 44,514
    Number of FTE Students
    (1)
  • 25%
    Proportion of ISR Publication
    (1)
  • 52 : 48
    Student Ratio of Females to Males
    (1)
  • 11%
    Percentage of International Students
    (1)
  • 16.1
    No. of students per staff
    (1)
  • $40,384
    Out-of-state Tuition and Fees
    (2)
  • $10,522
    On-campus Room and Board
    (2)
  • $51,667
    Salary after 10 years
    (2)
Based on data collected for the (1) 2024 World University Rankings and (2) 2022 US Rankings

Subjects taught at Michigan State University

  • Arts & humanities

    • Architecture
    • Art, Performing Arts & Design
    • History, Philosophy & Theology
    • Languages, Literature & Linguistics
  • Life sciences

    • Veterinary Science
    • Agriculture & Forestry
    • Biological Sciences
    • Sport Science
  • Social sciences

    • Communication & Media Studies
    • Geography
    • Sociology
    • Politics & International Studies (incl Development Studies)
  • Engineering & technology

    • Electrical & Electronic Engineering
    • Chemical Engineering
    • Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
    • Civil Engineering
    • General Engineering
  • Law

    • Law
  • Clinical, pre-clinical & health

    • Medicine & Dentistry
    • Other Health
  • Physical sciences

    • Geology, Environmental, Earth & Marine Sciences
    • Chemistry
    • Physics & Astronomy
    • Mathematics & Statistics
  • Business & economics

    • Accounting & Finance
    • Economics & Econometrics
    • Business & Management
  • Education

    • Education
  • Psychology

    • Psychology
  • Computer science

    • Computer Science