University of Michigan vs Michigan State University: Acceptance Rate, SAT & Net Price

University of Michigan is the more selective of the two, admitting 15.6% of applicants versus 84.8% at Michigan State University. For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $10,958 per year at University of Michigan versus $16,521 at Michigan State University. University of Michigan's yield rate is 47.3%, versus 21.0% at Michigan State University.

University of Michigan vs Michigan State University: admissions and cost statistics from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard
MetricUniversity of MichiganMichigan State University
Overall acceptance rate15.6%84.8%
SAT middle 50%1360–15301100–1310
Avg unweighted GPA3.93.7
Yield rate47.3%21.0%
Class size7,2909,829
Net price, $48,001–$75,000 income$10,958$16,521
Net price, over $110,000 income$24,305$28,546

Admissions and cost data as of July 3, 2026 (CDS 2024–25 cycle), from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard. Rows appear only where both colleges report the statistic.

Frequently asked questions

Is University of Michigan harder to get into than Michigan State University?

Yes. University of Michigan admits 15.6% of applicants, compared with 84.8% at Michigan State University, making it the harder school to get into, based on the most recent Common Data Set.

Which is cheaper for a middle-income family, University of Michigan or Michigan State University?

For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $10,958 per year at University of Michigan and $16,521 at Michigan State University, so University of Michigan is the lower-cost option at that income level (source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard/IPEDS data).

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