Michigan State University
Michigan State University

Michigan State University

About

Michigan State University (MSU), located in East Lansing, Michigan, is a leading public research university and the nation’s first land-grant institution. Founded in 1855 as an agricultural college, MSU pioneered scientific agriculture education and has grown to offer over 400 academic programs across 17 colleges. The university serves a diverse student population of more than 50,000 and is recognized for its extensive research activities.

Michigan State University (MSU), located in East Lansing, Michigan, is a leading public research university and the nation’s first land-grant institution. Founded in 1855 as an agricultural college, MSU pioneered scientific agriculture education and has grown to offer over 400 academic programs across 17 colleges. The university serves a diverse student population of more than 50,000 and is recognized for its extensive research activities.

The campus spans approximately 5,200 acres and features a mix of historic and modern buildings, green spaces, and advanced facilities. MSU is home to several notable research centers, including the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams and one of the oldest botanical gardens in the U.S. The university is also committed to sustainability and has a strong athletic tradition, with numerous varsity sports teams competing in the Big Ten Conference.

Student life at MSU is vibrant, with over 900 student organizations offering a variety of academic, cultural, and recreational activities. The university provides a comprehensive residential experience, requiring freshmen to live on campus to promote community engagement. MSU also emphasizes global education through extensive study abroad programs, encouraging students to gain international perspectives alongside their academic studies.

Michigan State University is the nation’s premier land-grant university and one of the top research universities in the world.

Every day, Spartans work to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community.

Campus Profile

Located in East Lansing, three miles east of Michigan’s capitol in Lansing, MSU’s campus is one of the biggest and greenest in the nation.

  • Top 100 Global university
  • 49,695 Students
  • 5,300 Acres

Academics

Top-ranked programs, high-caliber opportunities, and an inclusive, collaborative community enable Spartan students to create powerful, personalized paths and to compete with the best in the world.

  • 200+ Academic programs
  • 275 Education abroad programs
  • 38 MSU programs ranked in the top 25 nationally
  • 16:1 Student-faculty ratio

Outstanding record of students earning Rhodes, Goldwater, and other prestigious national and international scholarships

Freshman class profile (middle 50% of fall 2020 entering class): high school GPA, 3.5-4.0; SAT combined score (math and critical reading), 1110-1280; ACT composite score, 23-29

Ranked in the top 10 nationally by U.S. News & World Report for learning communities, study abroad, and service-learning offerings

Community

Wherever you go, there are Spartans working to make a better world. The MSU community includes more than 12,000 faculty and academic and support staff and an alumni network of nearly half a million strong.

  • 49,695 Students
  • 38,491 Undergraduates, 11,204 graduate and professional
  • 5,703 Faculty & academic staff
  • 25.3% Students of color, 9.1% international students

Research

Dedicated scientists, scholars, and students push the boundaries of discovery to tackle the world’s biggest problems and to provide solutions that make a better tomorrow for all.

  • $725M 2019 research expenditures
  • 100+ Institutes and centers
  • 2,700+ Faculty inventions
  • Top 50 Research university, Washington Monthly 2020 rankings

Making a Stronger Michigan

MSU and partners across the state work to create a stronger, healthier, more prosperous tomorrow — for Michigan and the world.

  • $5.8B Total economic impact statewide
  • 80% Undergraduates from Michigan
  • 65% Recent graduates employed in Michigan
  • 271,000 Alumni living in Michigan

Global Impact

Spartans work together as part of a vibrant global community and create partnerships around the world to make a lasting impact from East Lansing to East Africa.

  • $82M Average annual funding for international work
  • No. 1 Top-ranked public university for education abroad, U.S. News & World Report
  • 1,400 Faculty and staff members engaged in international research and teaching
  • 30+ Internationally focused centers

Athletics

Every day, Spartans of all abilities demonstrate athleticism, leadership, commitment, and collaboration in varsity sports, plus adaptive sports and intramural teams.

  • 23 varsity squads: 11 intercollegiate sports for men and 12 intercollegiate sports for women
  • 23 straight NCAA appearances by men’s basketball team, including 10 Final Fours
  • Women's golf team named Big Ten Champions in 2021
  • Women’s cross country team named Big Ten Champions in 2019 and 2021
  • 91% all-time-high graduation success rate for student-athletes
  • One of the largest intramural sports programs in the nation
  • Nickname: Spartans
  • Colors: Green and white
  • Mascot: Sparty
  • Conference: Big Ten

    MSU Donor Counts as of July 30, 2020

    Donors: 71,580

    CategoryAlumni Count
    Alumni - Degreed32,839
    Alumni - Non-Degreed1,389
    Parents4,385
    Other Individuals30,991
    Foundations486
    Corporations1,141
    Other Organizations349
    Domestic70,068
    Foreign195
    Other1,317
    Female36,713
    Male32,637
    Non-binary2
    Unknown2,228

      Rankings & Recognitions

      • Member of the prestigious Association of the American Universities, a group of 65 universities widely regarded as among the top research-intensive institutions in North America
      • Among 100 Best Global Universities, according to U.S. News & World Report 2021 rankings
      • No. 32 among public universities and No. 80 overall in U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Colleges 2021
      • No. 35 among all public institutions in the country, according to Money’s 2020 “Best Colleges” ranking
      • Named a gold-status veteran-friendly school by the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency
      • Gold rating for sustainability achievements in 2019 through the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
      • Nine No. 1-ranked programs and 38 ranked in the top 25 nationally by U.S. News & World Report
      • No. 1 in the nation for 27 straight years for graduate programs in elementary and secondary education and top nuclear physics graduate program in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report
      • No. 1 in the world for education, according to the 2020 Shanghai Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, a widely used international ranking of universities
      • Communication program ranked No. 4 in the world, according to a 2020 ranking by Shanghai Global Ranking of Academic Subjects
      • Full-time MBA program in the Broad College of Business ranked No. 17 among public U.S. universities in Bloomberg Businessweek’s ranking of Best U.S. Business Schools of 2019-2020
      • Four MSU programs are ranked in the top 25 in the world by QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021
        • Agriculture and forestry: No. 10 globally, No. 5 in the U.S.
        • Veterinary science: No. 11 globally, No. 4 in the U.S.
        • Communication and media: No. 14 globally, No. 9 in the U.S.
        • Education: No. 19 globally, No. 9 in the U.S.
      • MSU has earned global accolades in the Times Higher Education 2021 Impact Rankings, which measure how 1,154 universities are making progress in working toward the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.
        • No. 1 in the U.S. and No. 4 globally for SDG 2, "Zero Hunger"
        • No. 3 in the U.S. and No. 66 globally for SDG 17, "Partnerships for the Goals"
        • Top 15 in the U.S. and in the 101-200 range globally for SDG 3, "Good Health and Well-Being"
        • Top 20 in the U.S. and in the 201-300 range globally for SDG 4, "Quality Education"

      U.S. News & World Report Rankings

      MSU has 38 undergraduate and graduate programs ranked in the top 25 nationally by U.S. News & World Report, including nine No. 1-ranked programs.

      • East Lansing

        East Lansing, MI, United States

        Michigan State University